Lacy Johnson raised four times more in campaign contributions than Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), the Democrat incumbent, during this year’s second quarter. In a recent tweet, Johnson, the leading Republican candidate, detailed that his campaign took in $2 million, while Omar’s campaign posted only $471,000 in donations.
According to the Federal Election Commission, Omar has raised 22 percent more for her campaign in total. She has taken in $3.8 million to date, while Johnson raised $3.17 million. Currently, she has $1.1 million in cash on hand, while Johnson has half that amount.
Eighty percent of Johnson’s donations are unitemized, meaning they are less than $200 each and no identifying data is collected. Small donations indicate that his campaign is as he claimed on Twitter recently is “a grassroots campaign that counts on donations from patriots like you.”
Omar garnered a similar amount through unitemized contributions. The campaigns differ in that Omar received more than twice as much in itemized donations at $1.5 million. Most itemized contributions for both candidates come from out of state.
As a candidate, Lacy is running in the Republican primary to represent Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. There are two other contenders: Danielle Stella, who has raised $136K to date, and Dalia al-Aqidi, who has taken in $181K.
Johnson’s campaign has two major items: “Stop Ilhan: Learn the Truth about Ilhan Omar,” and provide his constituents with an alternative representative who won’t take their votes for granted.
“Ilhan Omar has repeatedly attacked shared American values,” his campaign website states. “We must expose her extremism to the people of Minnesota.”
Johnson was born in Natchez, Mississippi, moved north and graduated from the University of Minnesota. His career has been immersed mostly in software programming and systems engineering. He helped found a charter school and heads a startup dedicated to aiding disadvantaged young people to establish high-tech careers.
The primary election will be held on August 11. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Minnesota permits no-excuse early voting with an absentee ballot at local elections offices. The first day to vote early was June 26, and the last day is August 10.
Voter registration may be done online or via print forms until July 21. Voters may also register in person on Election Day or when they vote early.
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Patrick J. McCloskey is a reporter at The Ohio Star. Send tips to [email protected].
