New York 27

Money that never materialized mattered most for Democrat Nate McMurray’s so-unexpectedly-close-but-no-cigar quest to unseat incumbent Rep. Chris Collins, R, who won re-election despite facing 11 federal counts of security fraud.

McMurray lost by just 1 percentage point in a overwhelmingly Republican district in Western New York that President Donald Trump won by more than 24 percentage points just two years ago.

When Collins was indicted in August, several national Democratic PACs and super PACs flirted with bolstering McMurray’s shoestring campaign with serious money. But most never delivered. Liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org stood alone in aiding McMurray with $46,000 in anti-Collins digital ads. “We believe there is a real pickup opportunity in NY-27,” Matt Blizek, MoveOn.org’s election mobilization director, told the Center for Public Integrity on Monday.

But it was not to be. McMurray — who in an interview Friday described seeing “a grassroots fire burning that you can’t buy” — is now left to wonder whether he could have captured a few thousand more votes had a Democratic super PAC or three flooded his district with a six- or seven-figure ad blitz, as they did in other key House races.

“I don’t know. You can’t look back. I can’t make those calls for them,” McMurray, who conceded the race to Collins on Tuesday night, then called for a recount early Wednesday, told the Center for Public Integrity.

Collins wasn’t the only Republican representative under federal indictment to prove victorious Tuesday night: Rep. Duncan Hunter, who faces charges of allegedly misusing campaign finance funds, won his race in California’s 50th district against Democratic challenger Ammar Campa-Najjar, who boasted a significant cash advantage.