Jeff Smith now leads the field in Cash on Hand.
Jeff is a progressive running for Congress in MO-3. I met him a while back and was really impressed, so I've been following his campaign (plus he used to advertise here). He's articulate and smart and has a bright future ahead of him.
I know Stuart Rothenberg dismissed his chances early on, but others who know St. Louis politics, like the blogger ArchPundit, have predicted Jeff will pull it off.
At any rate, it appears he is well positioned for the stretch run....
The fundraising numbers for the 2nd quarter came out, and Jeff now leads the field in Cash On Hand with about $275,000. Next closest is Russ Carnahan with about $235,000.
Moreover, nearly all the press in the race has been largely about Jeff Smith's energy and campaign (including one article in the LA Times in which he called George Bush "a complete moron" that I can't find to link). And he has a Dean-style grassroots campaign going, with the money to get himself known.
This is a Democratic seat, where whoever wins the primary is almost guaranteed to win the general election. It's the kind of race that will help shape the future of the Democratic party -- because if we can't get a progressive in a seat like this, where can we?
I hope people will go to his website to learn more about him...
www.jeffsmith2004.com
... and maybe consider contributing to him.
I know he isn't one of the DKOS 8, but to me it's important that we fund one race that's about what kind of Democrats we elect.
At the very least, keep your eye on this. A Jeff Smith upset victory would be a huge boon to progressives.