U.S. Rep. French Hill is shown in this file photo. ( Democrat-Gazette file photo / Staton Breidenthal

If fundraising is any indicator, the state’s most contested congressional race this year is in central Arkansas, where incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. French Hill is being challenged by Democrat Joyce Elliott.

During the period between Feb. 13 and March 31, Hill’s campaign had total receipts of $317,293, according to a report filed this week with the Federal Election Commission.

Over the same period, Elliott reported contributions totaling $192,502.

Hill, a former Little Rock banker, has represented the 2nd Congressional District since 2015 and has far deeper campaign reserves than Elliott, a state senator from Little Rock.

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His cash on hand, at month’s end, was $1.28 million.

Elliott had $341,528, plus debts and obligations of $10,000.

Hill, a three-term incumbent, reported spending $57,360 during the period. Elliott had expenditures totaling $48,750.

The fundraising successes came in the midst of the covid-19 crisis, which has hampered the ability of campaigns to gather and collect funds.

In written statements, both campaigns highlighted their fundraising totals for the first three months of the year.

“Congressman Hill is proud to have raised $478,441 and to have $1,278,946 cash on hand, which shows the support for his tireless work on behalf of central Arkansas families, and he remains focused on helping families stay healthy and safe and seeing the economy here in Arkansas and across the nation safely return to full capacity,” his campaign chairwoman, Judith Goodson, said.

In a written statement, Elliott’s campaign manager, Rhonna-Rose Akama-Makia, said the Democrat’s report “serves as tangible proof of what we have seen for the past months on the ground. Through really hard work and very difficult circumstances, the Joyce Elliott campaign continues to build momentum towards November.”

Between Jan. 1 and March 31, Elliott reported raising $356,842.

“We are humbled by the opportunity to elect Joyce Elliott to Congress and proud of what we have accomplished. We recognize that we have much work ahead,” Akama-Makia added.

In the Arkansas congressional delegation, all of the House incumbents have substantial financial advantages heading into the 2020 elections, they reported on FEC reports filed this week.

Because they all appeared on the March 3 primary ballot, they had already reported their fundraising between Jan. 1 and Feb. 12.

In the 3rd District, U.S. Sen. Steve Womack, a Republican from Rogers, reported net contributions of $182,027 and net expenditures of $62,713 between Feb. 13 and March 31. His cash on hand totaled $1.39 million.

Celeste Williams, his Democratic challenger from Bella Vista, raised $27,549 and spent $18,927 during the same period, leaving her with cash on hand of $24,861.

In the 4th District, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, a Republican from Hot Springs, raised $216,175 and spent $36,396, leaving his campaign with $1.12 million in cash on hand. His Democratic challenger, William Hanson of Hot Springs, raised $5,003 and spent $19,341 between Feb. 13 and March 31, leaving him with $794.48, plus $27,400 in debts and obligations.

In the 1st District, U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford raised $150,508 and spent $31,711 during the reporting period, leaving him with $433,833. The Republican from Jonesboro, who has no Democratic opponent, reported no debts or obligations.

On the Senate side, fundraising was also robust.

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, no longer facing a Democratic opponent, now has nearly $4.9 million in his campaign coffers, according to his FEC filing.

Between Feb. 13 and March 31, the Dardanelle Republican had receipts of $546,725 and net expenditures of $163,397, the form showed. Cotton also reported debts and obligations totaling $73,959.

Cotton’s former Democratic opponent, Josh Mahony of Fayetteville, dropped out of the race in November, hours after the filing deadline, citing an unspecified “family health concern.”

U.S. Sen. John Boozman, a Rogers Republican, isn’t up for re-election until 2022, so his FEC report covered the entire period between Jan. 1 and March 31.

The second-term incumbent raised $82,855 and spent $32,256 between Jan. 1 and March 31, leaving him with $632,099. The campaign’s debts and obligations totaled $750.