Kelly ready to ante up more cash against Dahlkemper

Republican Mike Kelly loaned his campaign more than $300,000 in the months leading up to the 3rd District primary. And now that he’s emerged from last month’s crowded GOP field, the Butler car dealer is expecting that fundraising will become a much easier task—but he’s still fully prepared to invest more of his own cash in the race to unseat Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (D-3).

“A lot of respect was generated all around during that dog-fight of a primary,” Kelly told pa2010.com this week.”We’re expecting and hoping that everyone will come on board.”

Kelly, who had about 300 donors after a late entrance into the race, relied heavily on the $315,000 he loaned his own campaign, much of which he spent on carefully targeted direct-mail and television advertising that played a big role in his narrow victory over five other Republicans. The race was a nail-biter, with Kelly winning by less than 1,000 votes over his closest rival Paul Huber, who also poured about $300,000 into the race. In the end Kelly secured less than 30 percent of the primary vote.

Republicans see Dahlkemper, a freshman, as vulnerable, and are likely to pour significant sums into the race. But if that doesn’t happen—and even if it does—Kelly says he’s still willing to loan a “considerable sum” more to the campaign.

“I’m prepared to get involved the way I did during the primary,” Kelly said. “I don’t have a figure yet, we’re still investigating that. But I’ll lend what I think is necessary to win, a considerable amount.”

Any loans and fundraising Kelly puts together will have a hard time matching Dahlkemper’s war chest. The congresswoman already has more than $1 million in the bank, and the northwestern Pennsylvania’s Erie base makes it one of the state’s cheaper districts in which to advertise.

Kelly is less well-known in Erie, and Dahlkemper’s campaign says he’ll be hard-pressed to change that. The race is currently No. 2 on the pa2010.com Congressional Power Rankings.

“Voters in Erie are going to have a hard time supporting a no-name from Butler, which is basically a northern suburb of Pittsburgh,” Dahlkemper campaign spokesman Bryan Oberle. “He’s going to have to spend big to catch up. We’re optimistic.”