Skip to content

Louisiana: Colleagues Chip In to Boost Cao Fundraising

Rep. Anh “Joseph— Cao (R), who is viewed by many race watchers as the most vulnerable incumbent of the 2010 cycle, more than doubled his first-quarter fundraising between April 1 and June 30 thanks in no small part to an uptick in donations from his fellow Republican colleagues.

After raising less than $150,000 during the first three months of the year and reporting an unimpressive $61,000 in the bank on March 31, Cao on Wednesday reported $370,000 in receipts in the second quarter and almost $340,000 in cash on hand as of June 30.

While his first-quarter report included donations from just a handful of fellow Republican lawmakers, Cao’s second-quarter report was boosted by checks from more than 15 Republicans. House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) matched his $5,000 donation during the first quarter with another $5,000 donation in the second quarter, while House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.) gave Cao $10,000 and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas) cut the Louisiana Congressman a $2,000 check.

As the first Vietnamese-American Member of Congress, Cao has become a star in Vietnamese communities across the country, as well as a symbol of hope for Republicans after his upset victory last cycle in his overwhelmingly Democratic New Orleans-based district.

Cao beat scandal-plagued Rep. William Jefferson, who is black, in a district where the African-American population is 64 percent. He won by fewer than 2,000 votes against Jefferson, who is now on trial for federal bribery and corruption charges.

Recent Stories

In a surprise, GOP panel recommends Mast to lead Foreign Affairs

House sets up vote on bill to add dozens of new federal judgeships

Republicans start making immigration plans for next year

Trump says he will look at pardons for Jan. 6 attackers on ‘first day’

Trump’s pick to lead FBI identified ‘Government Gangsters’

Help wanted: Spending more time and effort in Congress