Republican Bryan Steil’s campaign says he raised more than $650,000 over the 10 weeks after he got into the race for the 1st CD, setting what it said is a new record for the initial fundraising period of a first-time House candidate from Wisconsin.
Steil, an attorney for a manufacturer, will report more than $615,000 cash on hand, and his campaign said more than 85 percent of his donors were from Wisconsin.
Dem Randy Bryce, who raised $1.2 million during the second quarter for his 1st CD bid, pulled in $432,369 during his initial fundraising period last year. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Green Bay, raised $520,333 during the first quarter of his 2016 campaign for the then-open 8th CD.
Steil joined the race in mid-April after Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, announced he would not seek re-election to the southeastern Wisconsin congressional seat.
His campaign said he didn’t put any of his own money into the race during the reporting period.
