The runner-up for the best-funded congressional campaign in the Syracuse area is Colleen Deacon, who raised $1,490,226 in 2016. Despite her sizable fundraising total, she didn't come close to defeating incumbent U.S. Rep. John Katko, who won reelection by more than 20 points.

When Katko, R-Camillus, was a challenger in 2014, he raised $1,029,766. Despite being outspent by Maffei, the Republican won the election by 20 points.

In 2006 and 2010, the challengers didn't crack seven figures. Maffei, who narrowly lost to longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Walsh 12 years ago, raised $958,298 for that campaign. And Buerkle, a Republican who upset Maffei in 2010, raised $837,440 in her successful bid.

Entering the third quarter, Balter raised $456,545 since she launched her campaign in September 2017. While the exact amount she raised isn't known — her campaign only released preliminary data — the $1.5 million figure would put her just shy of $2 million raised this election cycle.

Balter's third quarter haul included more than 40,000 contributions. The average donation was under $35, according to her campaign, and more than 95 percent of all donations were for less than $100.