Dana Balter shook up the 24th Congressional District race Monday when her campaign announced that she raised $1.5 million in the third quarter of 2018.

It's a staggering amount for a congressional candidate, especially here in central New York. The Citizen reviewed Federal Election Commission records dating back to the 1980s. Balter's haul is the most a Syracuse-area congressional candidate has raised in one quarter.

That may not be the only record Balter, D-Syracuse, sets in the 24th district race. By raising a seven-figure sum from July 1 through Sept. 30, she is in position to break the record for most money raised by a challenger in this Syracuse-area congressional district.

The best-funded congressional challenger to date was Dan Maffei in 2012. Maffei, a Democrat who served in Congress from 2009 to 2011, challenged then-U.S. Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, a Republican, in the newly drawn 24th district. In that campaign, he raised $2,032,959.47 — the most ever raised by a challenger.

Maffei won the 2012 election and served another term in the House of Representatives.

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.

The fundraising performance erases one of the criticisms of her campaign — that she couldn't raise the money to compete in the 24th district race. Her campaign's financial position was one reason national Democrats encouraged Juanita Perez Williams to enter the race.

The primary between Balter and Perez Williams pitted the progressive wing of the party against the Washington establishment. Perez Williams had backers with deep pockets, but Balter had scores of volunteers and enough money to run a viable campaign. She won by a wide margin to set up the general election race against Katko.

Despite the primary win, there was a question of whether Balter would be able to raise the money needed to mount a serious challenge to Katko's incumbency. The Republican congressman is seeking a third term and had more than $1.6 million in the bank entering the third quarter. Before her $1.5 million haul, Balter only had $113,305 in her campaign account.

With her record-setting quarter, she has the funds to compete against Katko.

"I'm proud of our work, and honored by the support for my campaign," Balter said. "Central and western New York need a representative who will show up, listen and stand up for all the people who live here. That's how we've built this campaign — one conversation, one volunteer, one contribution at a time. And we did it all without a single cent of corporate PAC money."