Gabe Firment raised more money this summer than anyone else running for Louisiana's open 5th Congressional District, and Michael Echols ended September with the most cash in the bank, according to October quarterly reports filed with the Federal Election Commission by the Oct. 15 deadline.
Nine candidates qualified with the Louisiana Secretary of State for the Nov. 3 ballot in the seat Julia Letlow is leaving to run for the U.S. Senate. The Republicans on the ballot are Stewart Cathey Jr., Misti Cordell, Oscar "Omar" Dantzler, Echols, Firment and Austin Magee, and the Democrats are Dan McKay, Pat Moore and Antonio Wilson. Seven filed October reports by the deadline, and McKay filed his on Oct. 18. The FEC lists no campaign committee for Dantzler this cycle.
Firment, of Pollock, reported $374,484 in receipts for July 19 through Sept. 30, nearly all of it from individual donors. He spent $135,832 and finished the period with $286,224 in cash and no debt. About 96% of his $351,817 in itemized individual contributions came from Louisiana addresses. His largest PAC contribution was $5,000 from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana PAC.
Echols, of Monroe, reported $972,833 in cash on hand at the end of September. He started the period with $1,081,639 and spent $294,078. His $185,272 in receipts included $121,975 transferred from the Echols Victory Fund. Over the full cycle his campaign has taken in $3.17 million, $2.43 million of it in loans from Echols. The campaign has paid back $850,000, and its report lists $1.58 million in debt, all of it owed to the candidate. Louisiana addresses accounted for about 98% of his $31,283 in itemized individual contributions. His largest PAC contribution was $10,000 from the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers. On Aug. 11 the FEC sent his committee requests for additional information about three earlier reports.
Cathey, of Fairbanks, raised $225,050 this period. He spent $49,898 and closed with $188,317 on hand, with no loans or debts reported. About 87% of his $217,350 in itemized individual contributions came from Louisiana addresses. His largest PAC contribution was $5,000 from the Radiance Technologies PAC.
Cordell, of West Monroe, raised $76,973 and spent $39,010, ending with $174,784. She has lent her campaign $206,500, which her report lists as unpaid. Louisiana addresses accounted for about 80% of her $65,811 in itemized individual contributions. Her largest PAC contributions were $5,000 each from Value in Electing Women PAC and WFW Action Fund.
On the Democratic side, Wilson, of Tallulah, reported $55,344 in receipts for July through September, including $22,919 he lent his campaign. Of his $32,424 in contributions, $28,370 came in unitemized amounts, below the FEC's itemization threshold. About 25% of his $4,054 in itemized individual contributions came from Louisiana addresses, and he reported no PAC contributions. He spent $22,058 and had $33,286 left.
Moore, of Monroe, whose committee registered in August, reported $22,129 in receipts, and about half of it ($11,327) was money she lent her campaign. About 62% of her $7,900 in itemized individual contributions came from Louisiana addresses, and she reported no PAC contributions. She spent $9,328 and ended with $12,800.
McKay, of Bunkie, filed his October report on Oct. 18, three days after the deadline, and on Oct. 20 filed amended versions of it and of his three earlier 2026 reports. The amended October filing shows $20,212 in receipts for July 19 through Sept. 30, all of it contributions. He spent $21,368 and ended September with $7,603 in cash and $41,750 in loans he made to his campaign. About 21% of his $19,464 in itemized individual contributions came from Louisiana addresses. The report puts $747 from ActBlue, the online fundraising platform, on the line for contributions from other committees and lists no PAC contributions. His original July pre-primary report showed a cash balance of negative $19,056, and the amended version shows $8,759. On Oct. 8 the FEC sent his committee requests for additional information about two earlier reports.
Magee, of Franklinton, reported $2,364 in receipts for the quarter, including $600 of his own money and $1,544 in refunds and rebates. He reported no itemized individual contributions and no PAC contributions. He spent $3,589 and ended September with $59. On July 27 the FEC sent his committee a notice that it may have failed to file a pre-primary report for July 1 through July 18.
Pre-general reports, covering Oct. 1 through Oct. 14, were due Thursday, Oct. 22. Seven candidates filed by the deadline, and Cathey filed shortly after it. Echols reported $23,673 in receipts, including $2,500 each from two PACs plus $2,500 from Louisianians for American Security, spent $107,554 and had $888,952 on hand. Firment reported $30,392 in receipts, including $3,500 from the Nexion Health Fund for Quality Long Term Care, spent $253,348 and had $63,269. Cathey reported $7,000 in receipts, spent $97,538 and had $97,779. Cordell reported $26,050 in receipts, spent $655 and had $200,178. Wilson reported $15,703 in receipts, including $5,000 from the Machinists Non-Partisan Political League, spent $17,939 and had $31,051. McKay reported $2,478 in receipts, spent $5,082 and had $4,998. Moore reported $925 in receipts, spent $9,580 and had $4,145. Magee reported $129 in receipts, spent $8 and had $180. Campaigns must also report, within 48 hours, any contribution of $1,000 or more received since Oct. 15. In those notices, Cathey has reported $24,517, Cordell $19,000 and Firment $10,000. Echols had filed none as of Friday morning.
Photo: The Ouachita River at Monroe, by Michael Barera, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
