Wynn ahead in funds, but challengers report big gains

Out-of-state donations keep incumbent, Edwards in the lead in District 4 congressional race

Wynn, an eight-term congressman who defeated Edwards by only 2,300 votes in the 2006 primary election, raised $131,230 from July 1 to Oct. 1, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Edwards raised $83,550 in the same period from a list of 89 donors. Wynn had 124 contributors.

Mitchell, a real estate agent from Upper Marlboro who announced his bid in July, started strong with $75,791 in donations.

‘‘People are starting to realize that they have another choice,” said Mitchell, who had $50,000 left to spend on the race.

Wynn currently has the largest war chest, with $400,000 left to spend on the Feb. 12, 2008, primary. Edwards, an attorney from Fort Washington, has $116,000 for campaign expenses.

A spokesman for Edwards’ campaign did not return a call for comment.

Though most of Mitchell’s 58 donors were from within Maryland, the other two democrats relied heavily on out-of-state and corporate contributors for their money.

Seventy of Edward’s 89 contributors had addresses outside of Maryland, according to her report. For Wynn, 88 of his 124 donors were not from his state.

Wynn’s campaign also relied heavily on donations from trade groups, unions and major corporations. Wynn reported that $66,450 – a little more than half of his quarterly donations – came from political action committees. To date, more than $293,000 of his campaign funds have come from the groups.

Wynn’s donor groups included the AFL-CIO and the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) labor unions, the tobacco company Altria, cable giant Comcast and both Coca-Cola and Pepsi, as well as numerous doctors.

In most cases, PAC contributors gave between $1,000 to $2,500 to the candidate. The maximum allowed donation for a PAC is $5,000 per election, while individuals are limited to $2,300 to a single candidate.

‘‘The congressman has a lot of support from a broad range of people,” said Lori Sherwood, Wynn’s campaign manager, who also said Wynn has numerous donations from people within his district.

Wynn plans to increase his campaign fund even more by the end of the year, Sherwood said. Next month, Wynn will host a fundraising event with House Speaker Nancy D. Pelosi (D-Calif.) in Montgomery County.

Edwards claimed just two PAC donations: a $1,000 gift from The Feminist Majority and a $100 donation from a group called Moderates Against Corruption.

Republican Roscoe M. Moore Jr. claimed no donations in his latest report. Moore has $479 in his war chest.

The latest report for Republican John R. McKinnis II was not posted as of press time.

Winding from the north edge of Montgomery through central and eastern Prince George’s counties, the fourth congressional district includes Largo, District Heights, Suitland, Mitchellville, Glenarden, Cheverly, Bladensburg, Burtonsville, Olney, Redland, Brookeville and Laytonsville.

E-mail Daniel Valentine at dvalentine@gazette.net.