Wow!  It's been an incredible few weeks. On March 6th we challenged you to help us reach our goal of  2008 individual donations by our March 31st fundraising deadline.  Your response was overwhelming - and we ended the quarter with 2,394 donations by individual donors since we began this campaign.

With your help we're shattering our own records and have now raised nearly $900,000 -- a level of fundraising strength we didn't reach until Labor Day in 2006.

To all of you who have contributed, and all you who have already signed up to volunteer, I want to say thank you.

Our success, our strength, is because of you -- and it's starting to get noticed.  Just last week, Marc Fisher of the Washington Post noted our "strong challenge" of Frank Wolf as further evidence that Virginia Republicans are in trouble.

We've come a long way together over the past few months, but there is much work left to be done. We'll need to knock on tens of thousands of doors, make hundreds of phone calls per night and yes, raise another million dollars or more.  But with the help of  thousands of supporters who are hungry for change I'm confident we can get there.

Click here to join our campaign and volunteer.

I continue to be inspired by your support and I know that together we really can change Washington.

Gratefully,

Judy Feder

"Wolf was in her position during his successful 1980 campaign against incumbent Joseph L. Fisher (D). In an Oct. 18, 1980, article, The Washington Post reported that "nearly half of Wolf's money has come from political action committees and other special action groups, many of them outside Virginia."

What happened in the race in 1980, you ask? that's right, that's the year Wolf finally won the election (after three tries).

Anyways, though, any word on Feder's numbers?

Judy Feder Raises More than $310,000 in First Quarter

More than 450 Virginians Contribute to Change Congress since January

Campaign has $700,000 Cash on Hand

McLean, VA - Judy Feder's campaign to bring change to Congress continues to gain momentum. The Feder campaign will report raising more than $310,000 in the first three months of 2008 with almost $200,000 contributed in March alone and approximately 95% of donations coming from individuals in the first quarter.

"People want change." said Feder. "They voted for it last November. They turned out in record numbers for it in February. They are contributing to my campaign because they know that's what I stand for."

Since announcing her challenge to Frank Wolf, Judy has raised nearly $900,000 and now has $700,000 cash on hand.

"Frank Wolf has been sitting in Congress for 28 years. Virginians are saying: "That's enough."

Over 450 Virginians contributed to Feder's campaign in the first quarter of 2008 and 538 individual donors gave online, demonstrating the growing grassroots appeal of Judy's message. Seven months out from the November election, the Feder campaign has already raised more than it had by Labor Day of 2006 when Judy Feder gave Frank Wolf his closest race in 24 years.

"Our momentum is building. Our fundraising success has built a foundation that will give us the financial resources and the grassroots capacity to win in November," said Feder. Virginians are tired of empty promises and blue ribbon commissions, they want real leadership."

In 2006, Judy Feder mounted the strongest challenge to Frank Wolf in nearly a quarter century. Though Feder entered the 2006 race a mere 10 months before Election Day, she cut dramatically into Wolf's margin, revealing a growing call for change in the district.  That call has grown, as voters in the 10th and across the Commonwealth are demanding that Congress begin to address rising health care costs, a weakened economy and a war in Iraq that has sapped the ability of our nation to focus on the priorities of the American people.

Gotta give her credit, she can raise money but she actually may be too progressive for this area. She is almost too good for the 10th.  

In other parts of the blogosphere, however, that same opponent has taken to running around telling anyone who will listen that he's "the more progressive candidate running in the 10th district" because he supports "single-payer health care reform."

At this point, she appears to be the more moderate choice...according to her opponent in the primary.

Feder is a great progressive. I just wonder if this type of candidate is best suited for the 10th?

So, is she best suited for the 10th? Don't know, but the evidence suggests she's been the best suited of all so far who have tried and if she's willing to give it another go (with a far better political environment and better name recognition) I think she deserves our full support.

takes guts to go out there and put your ass on the line, get beat, and then decide your so committed to public service and making a difference that you'll risk it again. Seems to me that's exactly the kind of candidate we, as Democrats, want representing us in Congress.