McClintock Challenger Announces $359,000 Fundraising Haul

Jessica Morse, a Democratic challenger to Rep. Tom McClintock announced she raised $359,000 in the most recent fundraising quarter. Morse’s campaign also said in a statement that she had $717,000 in cash on hand at the beginning of the second fundraising quarter of the year. McClintock has not released his numbers for the most recent fundraising quarter. But Morse, a former State and Defense Department official, and fellow Democrat Regina Bateson both outraised the Republican in the last fundraising quarter of 2017. Morse’s campaign said she has raised $914,000 so far in the race. “Residents of the 4th district are already speaking loud and clear: it’s time for ineffective, lifelong career politicians like Tom McClintock to go," she said in a statement. Morse received the state Democratic Party’s endorsement at its convention in February. McClintock has faced a series of aggressive town hall events and had to be escorted out of an event by police last year. But despite Morse’s fundraising numbers, unseating McClintock is a tall order unlike other districts Democrats are targeting in California. McClintock won re-election with almost 63 percent of the vote and Donald Trump won the district by 16 points in 2016. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added the 4th District to its target list in November. McClintock was the only Republican House member who flipped from his “no” vote on the House tax plan to “yes” on what came out of conference with the Senate. McClintock said at the time he changed his vote after changes to the state and local tax deduction, or SALT, which was pushed by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy with the explicit intent of trying to please Republicans from California. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the race Solid Republican. Get breaking news alerts and more from Roll Call on your iPhone or your Android.