Rep. Devin Nunes. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The Democratic House candidate challenging GOP Rep. Devin Nunes in California told Axios he's raised over $310,000 since the public impeachment hearings began on Nov. 13.
Why it matters: This fundraising haul shows the potential political ramifications impeachment will have for some Republicans in down-ballot races — especially those who are key characters in the hearings and staunch defenders of the president.
Between the lines: Phil Arballo announced his congressional campaign in early June, and by the end of Q3 he'd raised over $380,000. Now, he's nearly matched that in just two weeks' time.
- Since the public impeachment hearings began, his campaign has found fundraising success in email blasts specifically targeting Nunes for his role in the inquiry.
- "During the hearings, he proved his willingness to lie for Donald Trump — and now it’s clear that he’ll do anything, even compromise the security of our elections, to keep his Dear Leader in power," one campaign email said.
- "It's been good having Nunes in the spotlight," Arballo told Axios.
By the numbers: The campaign says they've received over 35,475 new supporters since the hearings started — people who aren't just donating but volunteering with the campaign.
- Before the hearings started, they had 47,670 supporters on board.
Nunes had the closest race of his political career in the 2018 midterms when he eked out a win by just over 12,000 votes.
- "We saw people here are ready for change and they're hungry for it," Arballo said.
- Nunes has already spent at least eight times as much as what he spent in the lead-up to the 2018 election so far in his 2o20 bid.
Go deeper: Nunes suggests CNN, Daily Beast committed crimes with reporting