Hoyer fundraises for Kanjorski

U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Nanticoke) is bringing in a big fundraising gun Tuesday as he attempts to fight off a stiff Republican challenge for his seat.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is hosting a fundraiser this evening for Kanjorski. The event is scheduled to take place at Washington’s Charlie Palmer steakhouse. Ed Mitchell, a Kanjorski spokesman, did not provide any further details on the event.

As of the end of the first quarter, Kanjorski had received $14,000 through Hoyer's personal campaign committee and his leadership fund, AmeriPAC.  

Kanjorski is running for a 13th term this fall. He is facing a November rematch with Hazelton Mayor Lou Barletta, an anti-immigration hardliner whom Kanjorski defeated in 2002. On Monday Barletta’s campaign announced that it had raised more than $330,000 since April 2 and has $320,000 in cash on hand. Kanjorski’s campaign has not yet announced its second quarter fundraising totals, though at the end of March it had more than $1.8 million on hand.

The 11th Congressional District seat has historically trended Democratic, with Al Gore winning 54 percent of the vote here in 2000 and John Kerry winning 53 percent in 2004. But the district is also known for having a heavily culturally conservative bent.

National Democrats have indicated they are taking Kanjorski’s re-election battle seriously, in no small part because of Kanjorski’s recent missteps. In 2007 the congressman faced criticism for earmarking $10 million in federal funds to a technology company owned by Kanjorski’s relatives. More recently, Kanjorski gained unwanted attention for asserting that congressional Democrats overstated their ability to end the war in Iraq.