In the upcoming special election for Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District, Democratic candidate Gabe Amo has a slight financial advantage over his Republican opponent Gerry Leonard, according to recent filings with the Federal Election Commission. As of September 30, Amo’s campaign had $176,000 in cash on hand while Leonard had $157,000. Amo, a former staffer to President Biden and Governor Gina Raimondo, is expected to perform well in this heavily Democratic district, whereas Leonard, a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel, is a first-time candidate.
Despite the financial gap, Leonard’s current cash stockpile is lower than what he had indicated during a recent interview on WPRI 12’s Newsmakers. Both candidates have yet to start television advertising or schedule future TV spots, resulting in limited attention being drawn to the election so far. Additionally, Amo has declined Leonard’s proposal for twelve debates, agreeing to only two televised encounters during the final week of the campaign.
During the period of August 17 to September 30, Amo raised $281,000, with the majority of the contributions coming after his primary win on September 5. In contrast, Leonard raised $69,000, including a personal loan of $50,000 that he made to his own campaign. Amo has raised nearly $900,000 overall since entering the race, while Leonard has collected just under $200,000. Amo’s largest expense during the reporting period was $128,000 on TV advertising, while Leonard’s biggest expense, aside from staff salaries, was approximately $6,000 for lawn signs.
