Drew Wilson
Democratic House District 30 challenger Ryan Yadav cut his campaign a $25,000 check last month, pushing his on-hand total past incumbent Republican Bob Cortes – for now.
After the loan and a few minor expenditures Yadav sprang to a $5,000 lead over Cortes. However he didn’t bring in much else. A single $250 check in September put the defense attorney at $12,975 in contributions to date, with the rest of his $61,774 on-hand total coming in through loans.
Cortes’ hasn’t filed his September report yet, so Yadav’s lead could be short-lived or, at the very least, a bit slimmer. August numbers put the freshman representative at about $57,000 cash on-hand.
A nearly even split between Republicans and Democrats should make HD 30 one of the more competitive – and expensive – races in 2016. Cortes spent more than $192,000 in 2014, while former Rep. Karen Castor Dentel spent nearly $400,000 in her losing effort.
Money is only half the battle. Who wins next year will hinge on how many voters are drawn to the polls for the presidential election. More than 68,000 HD 30 voters cast ballots in 2012, leading Castor Dentel to victory over Republican Scott Plakon. Turnout shrank to about 48,000 last year, however, securing Cortes’ upset.
