Josh Boschee Reportedly Raised Nearly $80,000 in the Beginning of 2018

Josh Boschee sent a press release early this morning indicating a strong fundraising report. Candidates are required to file a pre-primary fundraising report. In the release detailing his report, Boschee states he raised $79,207.44 between January 29th and May 3rd, 2018. This cash haul puts Boschee in a strong position heading into the general election.

Boschee provided a breakdown of his fundraising numbers. Of the $79,207.44 raised, $35,235.16 came in donations $200 and under and $43,972.28 in reportable donations $200 and larger. Candidates are required to report contributor information from donations of over $200. He states he had 629 unique donors with 524 being North Dakotans.

Compare this pre-primary filing to the end-of-year filing of incumbent Secretary of State Al Jaeger in his 2014 re-election. In 2014, Jaeger raised $45,183 total. It isn’t too much of a stretch to say Boschee came close to doubling that. There are still six months left in the campaign. At their convention earlier this year, North Dakota Republicans turned Jaeger away from re-election and instead nominated Will Gardner. It is unclear how, if at all, having a relatively new candidate on the ticket will impact their chances in November.

Boschee has been considered a strong candidate for the job by both political parties. He was first elected to the House in 2012 and reelected in 2016 as many other North Dakota Democrats were swept up in the Trump wave. To me, that shows strong organizational skills and bipartisan appeal. Couple those with the ability to raise the cash necessary to get his message out and he may have a winning formula come November.