Former Rep. Tom Malinowski has raised more than $1 million since entering the special election for New Jersey’s 11th congressional district two months ago, his campaign announced today, further cementing him as one of the leading contenders to succeed Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill.
Malinowski previously represented the neighboring 7th district from 2019 through 2023, and he was consistently a strong fundraiser during his competitive campaigns there. When he entered the race for the 11th district, his national fundraising connections were seen as one of his greatest advantages, and that seems to have been borne out.
“The amount of support I’ve received over the course of this campaign has been incredible,” Malinowski said in a statement. “Raising over $1 million in just two months allows us to run a robust, district-wide campaign and communicate with voters in every corner of NJ-11, despite the condensed timeline. I’m deeply grateful for the strength of this grassroots movement and the momentum we’re building heading into the final month.”
But while Malinowski’s fundraising total will certainly be enough to hit the airwaves and reach voters ahead of the February 5 special primary election, how it compares to the money raised by his 11 primary opponents is unknown – and it may remain that way until less than two weeks before the election.
Pre-primary campaign finance reports won’t be due until January 24, just five days before early in-person voting begins. A handful of candidates entered the race prior to the end of the previous fundraising quarter, and a few others like Malinowski have voluntarily announced how much they’ve been raising, but for much of the Democratic field, January 24 may be the first chance anyone gets to see how much they’ve been raising.
Malinowski is the fourth non-incumbent candidate to raise more than a million dollars in what is on track to become New Jersey’s all-time most expensive House primary season; three Democrats in Malinowski’s old 7th district, which is now held by Republican Tom Kean Jr., have also crossed the million-dollar threshold.
