Some House Challengers Overcome Incumbents' Cash Advantage in Midterm Races

The advantages of incumbency are clear -- usually greater name recognition and stronger fundraising than challengers -- so it isn't a big surprise that the re-election rate for sitting House members has ranged from between 90 percent to 98 percent since 1994.

But this year, nine congressional challengers have managed to out-raise the incumbents they are challenging, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics. Eight are Republicans and one is a Democrat.

Explaining the success of the Republican candidates, political scientist William Connelly told CFR's OpenSecrets Blog, "The activist base of the Republican party is charged up and ready to go, as witness the fund-raising numbers. In mid-term elections, the out party often has the advantage of a more excited party base, especially under conditions of a united party government such as we have today."

Here is CFR's list of the GOP hopefuls who, right now, are ahead of Democratic House members in the money race:

- Wealthy car dealer Tom Ganley, who is putting some of his own money into the campaign, is ahead in the cash race of two-term Democrat Betty Sutton, who won previous elections in her district covering the Cleveland suburbs and parts of Akron by 23 points or more.

- Businessman Randy Altschuler, who still must win his party's Sept. 14 primary has more money in the campaign bank that four-term Democrat Timothy Bishop who represents eastern Suffolk county in Long Island, N.Y. Bishop's campaign claimed to OpenSecrets that Altschuler's advantage was due to his personal wealth, not grassroots fundraising. Bishop has won three of his four elections by comfortable margins.

- Retired Army Lt. Col. Allen West is ahead of two-term Democrat Ron Klein in the district covering Florida's Broward and Palm Beach counties. Klein won by nine points in 2008 and less than four points in 2006.

- Opthamologist Nan Hayworth is ahead of two-term Rep. John Hall in New York's upstate Hudson Valley district. Hall's first race in 2006 was close, but he won by 17 points in 2008.

- Businessman Tim Burns is narrowly ahead of Democrat Mark Critz in the cash race, as they vie for the Pennsylvania seat once held by late Rep. John Murtha, (D-Pa.). This is a rematch since Critz defeated Burns two months ago in a special election.

- James Renacci, a financial consultant and former mayor of the small town of Wadsworth, is ahead of first-term John Boccieri in the race for the district covering Canton, Ohio. Boccieri won this longtime GOP seat in 2008 by about 11 points, when veteran GOP Rep. Ralph Regula retired after 18 terms.

- Richard Lott, a former food chain executive, is ahead money-wise in his race against 14-term Marcy Kaptur in n Ohio district that includes Toledo. Kaptur has won all of her previous elections by huge margins.The Toledo Blade says most of Lott's campaign money is from his own pocket.

- Businessman David Harmer is ahead of two-term Rep. Jerry McNerney whose district covers California's San Joaquin Valley. McNerney won his two terms by margins ranging from about 7 percent to 11 percent.

The sole Democrat to be out-raising a Republican incumbent is physician Ami Bera, who is running ahead of eight-term Rep. Dan Lungren in the contest for the California seat that covers the Sacramento suburbs. Lungren won his 2008 race by less than 6 points.

OpenSecrets.org has more details on each of these races on its blog.