Jewish Veteran Flush With Cash Narrows Lead Of Republican On Staten Island
Democrat Max Rose campaigning for Congress in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, on Aug. 3, 2018. Image by Ben Fractenberg
Jewish Army vet Max Rose raised nearly five times more than his Republican rival from July through September in his bid to oust incumbent Rep. Dan Donovan in a Staten Island-centered district that could be key to the Democrats flipping the House on Nov. 6.
Rose brought in $1.6 million and has than $1 million cash on hand for the final weeks of the race, his campaign announced on Oct. 15, in a race CNN said has seen one of the biggest swings in the country from Republican to Democrat support. Donovan raised more $340,000 during the same period and has over $277,000 left for the final push.
Rose’s success follows a pattern for Democrats nationally. More than 60 of their House candidates [brought in over $1 million in the last quarter,] (https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/10/15/us/ap-us-election-2018-third-quarter-fundraising.html) and the party has outraised the GOP by more than $80 million in the most competitive House races since November 2016.
The incumbent still has a narrow three-point lead, according to CNN. Non-partisan election forecasters Cook Political Report, Sabato’s Crystal Ball and Inside Elections still give Donovan the edge.
Yet Donovan carried the district by 25 points in 2016.
“People have been underestimating this campaign from the beginning, so it doesn’t surprise me that the media is now reporting that this is one of the top races to watch in the country,” Rose told the Forward in an Oct. 15 email.
Rose is part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Red-to-Blue campaign, which provides extra fundraising and organizational help.
The candidate, who received a Purple Heart after being injured during a bombing in Afghanistan, is also part of a crop of veteran candidates running on the Democratic side.
Fellow Jewish vet Elaine Luria is has proven a strong campaigner in a district centered around Virginia Beach.
Rose is also part of a group of Jewish swing-district candidates who have excelled at fundraising.
Donovan has portrayed Rose as a carpetbagger who moved onto the island just before his run.
“I’ve served longer in Congress than Max Rose has lived in the district.”
— Dan Donovan (@dandonovan_ny) October 13, 2018
His campaign did not return a request for comment.
While most election forecasters expect Democrats to gain the 223 seats needed to retake the House, races like Rose’s could help determine how large their majority is.
Some lawmakers could feel emboldened to investigate President Trump’s political and business dealings if they win by a wide enough margin.
Jewish California Rep. Adam Schiff wrote in an Oct. 12 Washington Post op-ed he would use his seat on the House Intelligence Committee to further investigate Trump’s relationship with Russia.
“There are serious and credible allegations the Russians may possess financial leverage over the president, including perhaps the laundering of Russian money through his businesses,” Schiff wrote. “It would be negligent to our national security not to find out.”
It’s not clear yet how much oversight of the White House will be a motivating issue for voters in New York’s 11th district, but Rose feels his strong fundraising numbers shows how much momentum he’s gained.
“We’re proving every day that we’re running a different kind of campaign. We’re not just asking for a vote, we’re asking people to trust again in America’s ability to overcome the toughest challenges,” the candidate said.
Contact Ben Fractenberg at fractenberg@forward.com or on Twitter, @fractenberg
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