Current fundraising battle close for Sixth District

LYNN – U.S. Rep. John Tierney, the Democrat incumbent in the 6th Congressional District, holds a slight fundraising edge so far in the upcoming fall race for the seat, but enjoys a $1.5 million campaign war chest -gathered up in his seven campaigns since 1996 – which can be put into play.Tierney has raised $368,551 so far in this cycle, according to opensecret.com, an online resource from the Center of Responsive Politics, a respected D.C. political fundraising watchdog.In figures through March 31, Tierney’s main opponent thus far, Republican Bill Hudak, a former Saugus resident who now resides in Boxford, has raised $348,33 in this cycle. Two other Republican foes, Bedford resident David Michael Sukoff ($37,304) and Saugus Attorney Rob McCarthy ($27,340) lag far behind.Money may loom large in the race in a district Republican Senator Scott Brown won by 38,490 votes in January with a percentage of 57.9 while his opponent, Attorney General Martha Coakley, garnered just over 41 percent of the vote. The Democrat carried only five municipalities in the district, Bedford, Gloucester, Lynn, Newburyport and Rockport.Lynn may be key to Tierney’s re-election effort as it had the lowest turnout for the district at 38 percent. Every other community had over 50 percent voter participation, so Tierney’s get-out-the-vote effort in Lynn may be critical for his chances.According to opensecrets.com, Tierney’s top contributors since 1996 have been political action committees: the Carpenters & Joiners Union with $75,000; the National Education Association, $73000; the Teamsters, S72,900; a lawyers’ PAC, the American Association for Justice, with $71,000; and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, an arm of union giant SEIU, with $65,000.Despite the political generosity of the PACs, individual contributions make up the majority of Tierney’s funding at 61 percent. The PACs are second at 32 percent, self-financing is listed just 2 percent while 6 percent is listed as other.