Though he is flush with campaign cash after his aborted presidential bid in 2008, Sen. Evan Bayh (D) continues to vacuum up donations. Next month, the Hoosier State Senator is headed to New Jersey to appear at a $250-a-head event hosted by future Congressional candidate Michael Wildes (D).

Wildes, the Englewood mayor who has already declared his intention to run for Rep. Steven Rothman’s (D) seat whenever it comes open, is hosting the May 17 event for Bayh in conjunction with the pro-Israel political action committee NORPAC.

While he shouldn’t have much trouble securing a third term, Bayh is taking no chances when it comes to fundraising. He raised $645,000 in the first quarter and had $11.4 million in cash on hand as of March 31, according to the Federal Election Commission.

As for Wildes, the Congressional hopeful didn’t raise an amount anywhere in the ballpark of Bayh in the first quarter of 2009. His Congressional campaign committee reported just over $4,700 in receipts between January and March. But Wildes also reported more than $628,000 cash on hand, an impressive sum that is a testament to just how prepared he is to make his Congressional dreams a reality. In promoting his future candidacy, Wildes often stresses his job as Englewood mayor, which was the same post Rothman held before he ran for Congress.