WASHINGTON — Today is the deadline to report first quarter fundraising, and Yellowhammer sources confirm Congresswoman Martha Roby (R-AL2) will report just north of $225k for Q1 with cash on hand just over $661,000.
It’s her best fundraising quarter ever, beating her previous best of $213k in the first quarter of 2011, which was right after being elected when everyone decides they want to be your friend.
Rep. Roby has occasionally been the target of rumored primary challenges, and while she remains very popular in the district, she could be vulnerable to a Tea Party challenge based on her low scores on conservative scorecards like Heritage Action. That said, a massive fundraising quarter like this shows she could easily start any primary with a $750k – $1million advantage over any challenger, potentially deterring otherwise interested candidates from even getting in the ring.
“We are obviously very pleased with the strong support Martha has, and that includes financial support,” said Rep. Roby’s chief of staff and primary political adviser Stephen Boyd. “Martha’s network throughout Alabama has grown steadily stronger, and that comes from working hard as a Member of Congress. I tell you, though, what’s more interesting than good fundraising numbers is having so many constituents stop Martha in the grocery store or at events just to say that they appreciate her hard work standing up for Alabama values, maintaining a strong national defense and fighting for better medical care for our veterans. Having the opportunity to serve in Congress is an honor, and I think people appreciate the way she goes about it.”
Rep. Roby has recently been a highly-vocal critic of the long wait times and disrespectful and wasteful culture within Veterans Affairs hospitals. Earlier this week she accompanied a constituent of hers, associate director of the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System Richard Tremaine, as he testified on the horrendous treatment he has received from leadership in the VA system as a whistleblower.
She has been an outspoken opponent of sequestration, and a champion for securing funding for Fort Rucker and the Maxwell Air Force Base, both of which are in her district.
A member of the powerful appropriations committee, Rep. Roby is also placed in a visible position to implement the fiscal changes many Alabama conservatives would like to see in Congress.
Rep. Roby has no official challengers yet, and a war chest of this size may just keep it that way.
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
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