By Alex Roarty
PoliticsPA Staff Writer
roarty@politicspa.com
Democratic congressional candidate Bryan Lentz raised about $235,000 in the first fundraising quarter, he reported to the FEC Thursday, and had nearly $610,000 on hand through the end of March.
The 7th District candidate, a former Philadelphia prosecutor and state lawmaker, has raised about $750,000 this election cycle.
The total, though one of the highest for congressional candidates statewide, lags behind those posted by Republican candidate Pat Meehan. The former U.S. attorney said earlier this week he has about $855,000 on hand after raising $340,000 in the first fundraising quarter, about $100,000 more than Lentz.
Both men are seeking to replace outgoing incumbent Joe Sestak, who is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Their race is expected to be among the state’s most competitive.
Last week, Lentz, after an unfavorable Commonwealth Court ruling, withdrew his high-profile effort to knock Meehan off the ballot after the Democrat alleged he hadn’t collected enough valid signatures and petitions.
