Kirkpatrick breaks record for Q3

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) posted a record-breaking fundraising sum for the third quarter, bringing in $800,000 over the past three months.

{mosads}The sum is her best quarterly showing yet, her campaign said. She raised about $600,000 in just the seven weeks since her Aug. 6 primary, in preparation for what’s already been a fierce general election fight with Arizona House Speaker Andy Tobin (R).

“Ann continues to set fundraising records for this district because she has built a strong and diverse base of support,” said Kirkpatrick for Arizona Campaign Manager Nettie Haines in a statement.

“Folks believe in Ann’s record of results and her history of standing up for veterans, communities and Arizona families. That’s why she has vastly outraised Andy Tobin, who continues to run on a platform of more congressional dysfunction and his out-of-touch record — including his support of the strategy that led to last year’s government shutdown.”

Kirkpatrick did not, however, release her cash-on-hand total, suggesting she might be burning cash quickly as she begins to launch general election ads and mailers in the sprawling district.

Tobin hasn’t yet released his third-quarter sum, but he’s struggled to raise money in the past, and his total will be closely scrutinized to see whether he’s been able to overcome some of the dysfunction that plagued his campaign throughout the primary.

Kirkpatrick remains a top GOP target, however, and outside GOP groups will easily erase any fundraising disparity between the two — and are already spending heavily to defeat her.