July 19, 2021
PHILADELPHIA — Today, 314 Action Fund congratulated the candidates it has endorsed thus far in the 2022 cycle on their fundraising successes in the second quarter of the year. During this reporting period, 314 Action’s endorsed candidates raised at least $18 million, making clear that strong science candidates will be front and center in next year’s critical elections.
Many of these incredible science candidates are making and breaking records on the campaign trail. Dr. Randy Frieze (AZ-02) leads all congressional newcomer candidates in fundraising momentum, his campaign taking in nearly $600,000 in its first quarter. Dr. Val Arkoosh cemented her place as a top contender in the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race, raising over $1 million in her campaign to become the first woman physician elected to the Senate and first woman senator from the Commonwealth. Former Congressman Joe Cunningham has set a new record for the strongest first quarter in South Carolina gubernatorial campaign history from a challenger by raising $634,000, 84 percent of which came from South Carolina supporters.
In 2022, 314 Action Fund will aim to spend $50 million to elect scientists across all levels of government, with initial targets of seven U.S. Senate races, forty U.S. House races, and twenty-one statewide races. In 2020, the organization spent $25 million on behalf of its endorsed candidates and raised a total of $5 million in grassroots donations for scientists running for office.
314 Action President Shaughnessy Naughton released the following statement:
“314 Action-endorsed candidates are breaking fundraising records across the country, because voters know that they are smart, dedicated leaders for the people they are running to represent. Their backgrounds in science make them strong candidates at any moment, but especially as our country continues to recover from a deadly pandemic and the voices of facts-first, science-based representatives are more important than ever. We look forward to continuing to help these candidates not just run strong campaigns — but win in record numbers this cycle.”
The fundraising totals for these candidates — the majority of whom outraised their opponents — in the second quarter of 2022 are as follows:
U.S. Senate
- Sen. Mark Kelly (AZ-Sen): $6 million
- Sen. Alex Padilla (CA-Sen): $2.2 million
- Dr. Val Arkoosh (PA-Sen): $1 million
U.S. House
- Dr. Randy Friese (AZ-02): $566k
- Rep. Sean Casten (IL-06): $476k
- Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14): $876k
- Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06): $510k
- Rep. Elaine Luria (VA-02): $753k
- Rep. Kim Schrier (WA-08): $687k
State
- Joe Cunningham (SC-Gov): $634k (since April 26, 2021)
- Gov. Tony Evers (WI-Gov): $5 million (first half of 2021)
In 2020, 314 Action Fund endorsed 120 scientists who successfully ran for public office at every level of government. Of these scientists, over 50% were women, nearly a quarter were candidates of color, and nearly a quarter were also first-time candidates. 314 Action Fund also further established its commitment to building a strong bench of science candidates who may seek statewide or federal office in the future. 314 Action Fund committed $1 million to partner with the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and Democratic legislative caucuses to elect STEM candidates across the United States.
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314 Action Fund is powered by a grassroots community of over six million people working to elect scientists, doctors, and STEM professionals who will use science and facts to address our most pressing issues like climate change and health care. In 2018 and 2020, we played a pivotal role in flipping the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, electing eleven Democratic scientists to federal office, as well as over 100 to state and local offices. In 2021 and 2022, 314 Action Fund will continue working to elect science leaders and defeat climate deniers in Congress and legislatures across the country.