By Jonathan D. Salant | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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Want to know how Jersey Democrats' efforts to hand President Donald Trump a big midterm election defeat is going?

Well, money talks, and it screams loudest when challengers raise millions of dollars.

So far, two New Jersey Democrats seeking Republican-held seats this fall have broken through the million dollar mark. Both races are considered tossups by the Cook Political Report, a Washington-based publication that tracks congressional races.

At the same time, no Republican challenger has managed to come close to that figure against freshman Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., the only potentially vulnerable Democratic incumbent. He has raised more than $3 million, more than any other House candidate in the state.

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President Donald Trump listens during a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

In a state where Trump has the support of just 35 percent among registered voters, the Democrats' fundraising prowess puts them in stronger positions to pick up seats in November.

A Monmouth University poll released this month said that all five Republican-held districts in New Jersey could go to the Democrats.

Here's how big bucks are flowing in what will be a huge fight over Trump:

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Mikie Sherrill joins a NJ 11th for Change protest in May 2017. (Justin Zaremba | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Republican Rodney's retiring, and this Democrat's got $2 million so far

Under heavy fire because of Trump, longtime Republican Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen is calling it quits. And Democrats are pushing hard to grab his 11th District seat.

Democrat Mikie Sherriill, a former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor, raised $1.1 million in the last three months, more than the rest of the field combined.

Overall, Sherrill raised $2.4 million and had $1.7 million in the bank. Political committees headed by Reps. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., and Seth Moulton, D-Mass., helped fill her coffers, raising $157,620.

Also in the Democratic field, family advocate Tamara Harris Harris raised $481,271, plus lent her campaign $100,000. Her bank account balance stood at $203,794 entering April. Former New York Assistant Attorney General Mitchell Cobert raised $90,218 and had $12,241 to spend.

On the Republican side, state Assemblyman Jay Webber, R-Morris, a strong backer of Trump, raised $233,371 -- less than 10 percent of Sherrill's haul, and lent his campaign $1,148. He had $221,339 in the bank.

The law firm of Drinker Biddle & Reath, which was paid $3.2 million last year to lobby on behalf of several health care associations, hosted a Washington fundraiser for him.

Among other Republicans, investment banker Antony Ghee brought in $62,050, and had $61,738 cash on hand. Two others raised less than $10,000

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Wow. This Democrat is raising just as much as Leonard Lance.

The good news for Rep. Leonard Lance, given no more than a 50-50 chance of winning re-election, is that he raised as much for this campaign as he raised for his last one, and there are still eight months to go.

The bad news is that one of his Democratic challengers has kept pace.

Lance, R-7th Dist., brought in $1.1 million through March 3. He raised $315,735 from January to March. A member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, he received the maximum $10,000 PAC contributions from two companies under his panel's jurisdiction, AT&T and Comcast, in the last three months. He had $849,998 to spend.

Former Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Tom Malinowski, one of three Democrats vying to take him on this fall, has done almost as well. He raised $1 million, including $479,211 in the last three months, and had only $110,000 less to spend than Lance.

House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer gave him $7,000 through his campaign committee and leadership PAC, and Pallone gave him $1,000 through his leadership PAC.

Among the other Democrats, Peter Jacob, who ran against Lance in 2016, raised $107,963 and had $26,958 to spend. Lawyer Goutam Jois raised $278,216, borrowed $100,000 from himself, and reported $302,131 cash on hand.

Neither of Lance's Republican primary challengers had more than $5,000 in the bank.

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The Democrats' biggest chance to grab a red seat

The Cook Political Report gives the edge to the Democrats in race to succeed Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd Dist., who is retiring after 24 years in Washington.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's anointed candidate, state Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, raised $488,845, with most of it coming in the last three months. He had $456,028 to spend.

Though Van Drew hasn't won the Democratic nomination yet, he was raising money like an incumbent, with $81,400 coming from political action committees, such as the Realtors ($5,000), the Airline Pilots Association ($5,000) and the American Bankers Association ($5,000).

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, kicked in $1,000, and the leadership PAC of Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-6th Dist., gave him $2,500.

Among other Democrats, retired schoolteacher Tanzie Youngblood raised $65,309, and had just $14,102 in her campaign bank account. She lent her campaign $23,000.

Will Cunningham brought in $51,951, all in the last three months, and entered April with $45,986 to spend. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., gave him $1,500.

On the Republican side, only engineer Hirsh Singh, who lost a bid for GOP gubernatorial nomination last year, amassed any significant campaign funds and that was because he dug deep into his own pocket. He raised $55,665, while giving or loaning his campaign about the same amount, $56,685. He entered April with $82,554 to spend.

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Vice President Mike Pence touts the Republican tax bill in Charlotte, N.C., in April 20. (AP Photo | Chuck Burton)

VP Pence helping this pro-Trump congressman

Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-3rd Dist., who has voted with Trump more than any other member of the state's congressional delegation, took in $5,400 from Vice President Mike Pence's leadership political action committee as he raised a total of $1.8 million, including $301,600 in the last three months. He had $1.1 million in the bank.

Democratic challenger Andy Kim had a strong fundraising quarter, bringing in $529,590 in the last three months to crash through the million dollar mark. He raised $1.1 million in total and had $814,854 in the bank.

Kim received $7,000 from House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi's campaign committee and leadership PAC, and $250 from New York Yankee announcer Suzyn Waldman.

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Trump or no Trump, taking down this Republican is a longshot

Rep. Chris Smith, R-4th Dist., traditionally does not need to raise much money to win re-election, and so he doesn't, bringing in just $568,202 and increasing his bank account balance to $600,732.

The $256,099 he raised just in the first three months of the year, however, was more than both of his Democratic opponents raised for the entire campaign. Almost one-fourth of that amount, $65,000, came from union PACs; Smith has broken with fellow Republicans on labor issues.

Even though national Democrats have targeted him, neither of his opponents have shown the ability to build significant war chests so far.

Josh Welle, a Navy veteran and founder of a software company, raised $197,956 and added $95,807 of his own money. He had $149,831 in the bank entering April. Pallone's leadership PAC gave him $1,000.

Former Asbury Park Councilman Jim Keady — the guy former Gov. Chris Christie famously told to "sit down and shut up" when he complained about Sandy funding — raised $229,405 and had $38,621 in the bank.

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In between meetings in Washington, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., talks to his family in New Jersey. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

You won't believe how much cash this rookie Democrat has

Ousting longtime incumbent Republican Scott Garrett should have made Rep. Josh Gottheimer a top target of House Republicans

But it's tough to take on a even a rookie when he's raised $3.8 million and banked $3.3 million.

As for the possible Republican opponents?

Most of the money going into the coffers of his Republican challengers are their own.

Former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan has raised just $338,645, but lent his campaign $1 million. He entered April with $708,306 to spend.

John McCann, general counsel to the New Jersey Sheriffs Association, raised just $45,691 and lent his campaign $125,000. He had $113,773 in his campaign bank account as of March 31.

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As for the rest of the Democrats

The rest of New Jersey's Democratic House members are sitting pretty. None of their primary challengers or potential Republican challengers have raised a dime:

1st District: Donald Norcross raised $1.3 million through March 31.

6th District: Frank Pallone Jr. raised $1.4 million.

8th District: Albio Sires brought in $185,263.

9th District: Bill Pascrell Jr. raised $903,894. F

12th District: Bonnie Watson Coleman raised $509,135.

A NOTE ABOUT THE FIGURES: Candidates reported their latest fundraising figures to the Federal Election Commission this month, covering the period Jan. 1, 2017, through March 31, 2018.

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Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.