*By Christian Smith* Democratic voters' willingness to donate to candidates trying to regain control of Congress shows a fervor rarely seen in midterm races, said Harley Rouda, a California businessman seeking to unseat longtime Republican incumbent Dana Rohrabacher in Orange County. "I think we are seeing that all across the United States that Democratic supporters and voters are not just going to the polls, but they're opening up their pocketbooks to support candidates ー and the reason they are doing that is because they know this is arguably the most critical election of our lifetimes," Rouda said Monday in an interview on Cheddar. The campaign for California's 48th district has been Rohrabacher's most expensive race in his 30-year career. As of the latest FEC filings on June 30, Rouda outspent Rohrabacher by almost $700,000 ー Rouda's [$2.2 million](https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/H8CA48035/) to Rohrabacher's [$1.5 ](https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/H8CA42061/)). By comparison, Rohrabacher spent about [$600,000](https://www.fec.gov/data/disbursements/?two_year_transaction_period=2016&cycle=2016&data_type=processed&committee_id=C00224691&min_date=01%2F01%2F2015&max_date=12%2F31%2F2016&line_number=F3-17) in the last election cycle. A July 17 [Monmouth University Poll](https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/monmouthpoll_ca_071718/) showed the race is a virtual tie, with Rouda leading Rohrabacher by only two points, well within the poll's margin of error. Though many Democratic candidates in close races are generating enthusiasm among voters by attacking President Trump, Rouda said he's focused more on his opponent's record in the traditionally Republican district than he is on the president. "Although Trump certainly has low ratings here, Rohrabacher has equally low ratings," Rouda said. For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-democrat-giving-rep-dana-rohrabacher-his-toughest-challenge-in-almost-30-years).

Share:
More In Politics
Al Sharpton to lead pro-DEI march through Wall Street
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
Embattled Fed Gov. Lisa Cook says she’ll sue Trump to keep her job
Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook's lawyer says she'll sue President Donald Trump's administration to try to prevent him from firing her. Longtime Washington attorney Abbe Lowell said Tuesday that Trump “has no authority to remove” Cook. If Trump succeeds in removing Cook from the Fed's board of governors, it could erode the Fed’s political independence, which is considered critical to its ability to fight inflation because it enables the Fed to take unpopular steps like raising interest rates. The Republican president said Monday he was removing Cook because of allegations she committed mortgage fraud. Cook was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden in 2022 and says she won't step down.
Load More