Democratic candidates seeking to unseat 5th Congressional District incumbent, U.S. Representative Dale Strong, R-Alabama, highlighted grassroots fundraising efforts after filing their first quarterly finance reports of 2026.
In a statement made after the filing of the first campaign finance reports of 2026, Democratic congressional hopeful Andrew Sneed celebrated raising more than $100,000 in campaign contributions for the fourth quarter in a row, emphasizing the role of individual donors in fundraising efforts.
“This campaign isn’t about me, it’s about giving the people of this community their voice back. Our consistent fundraising shows that the support this campaign has isn’t a fluke,” Sneed said. “We—the people of this district—deserve a representative who works to actually represent the district, not special interests and corporate donors.”
Since launching last year, the Sneed campaign has received roughly $448,831 in donations, including around $426,481 in individual contributions.
The candidate emphasized that his campaign has received no contributions from corporate political action committees.
Alongside $20,000 in the candidate’s own money, the only donations to the Sneed campaign to not come from individual donors are from nonprofit PAC ActBlue, which raises funds for Democratic candidates. The PAC has contributed $2,350 to the Sneed campaign.
According to its April campaign finance report, the Sneed campaign raised $100,673 from individual donors and received $1,100 in PAC contributions during the first quarter of FY26. As of the April report, the candidate has $234,239 in cash on hand.
The campaign, which managed to outraise the Strong campaign during the final quarter of FY25, wrote that during Sneed’s interactions with District 5 residents, citizens highlighted affordability issues, local jobs and “a government that feels increasingly out of touch.”
“People are ready for something different,” the candidate said. “They’re showing up in churches and bars and living rooms because they’re ready for leadership that listens. Washington is broken and the purpose of this campaign is to fix the House.”
Following Sneed, District 5 candidate Jeremy Devito led district Democratic nominees in donations. Devito has raised roughly $32,286 for his campaign, including $9,217 in contributions during the most recent financial quarter. All of Devito’s campaign donations consist of contributions from individual donors.
The Devito campaign has $4,139 on hand, as of its April finance report.
“I’m very proud to say that our campaign had the best quarter and best month last month—nearly doubling our total in one quarter,” Devito told APR in a written statement on Tuesday.
The candidate noted that, of the more than 600 individuals who have donated to his campaign, the average donation is about $38.
“That’s grass roots in action,” Devito said. “And we have accomplished it all with nearly ZERO call time.”
“That tells me that people are paying attention at a level that they never have before, seeking out information, and overwhelmingly supporting our progressive campaign in this race.”
Fellow Democratic candidate Candice Duvieilh, who has brought in roughly $27,588 in campaign contributions solely from individual donors, raised roughly $9,215 during the first quarter of 2026.
When asked to comment on her campaign’s fundraising progress, Duvieilh also emphasized the importance of community outreach efforts and individual donors in gathering support for her congressional bid.
“Since qualifying in January, this campaign has grown into something bigger than one candidate. Month after month, our fundraising has gained momentum, powered not by big money, but by people who believe in what we’re building together,” the Duvieilh campaign wrote.
“Because of individual donors and dedicated volunteers, we’ve been able to create a professional, people-centered campaign that reflects the real lives of our constituents,” the campaign added. “Every decision we make honors the economic realities families are facing right now. This campaign is dedicated to working in partnership with the community we seek to serve.”
According to its most recent finance report, the Duvieilh campaign has $6,961 on hand.
Strong, meanwhile, has brought in roughly $1,168,161 in total contributions for his reelection campaign, around $616,361 of which came from individual donors. The candidate has roughly $1,282,004 on hand, with $240,000 in loans owed by his campaign committee.
The candidate raised $181,080 in individual contributions for the first quarter of FY26. Strong also brought in $154,000 in PAC contributions during the quarter and has raised $551,800 since his campaign commenced.
The Strong campaign received its largest PAC donations from PACs run by Guidehouse Inc., “a global AI-led professional services firm,” the steel manufacturer Nucor and the engineering services firm Modern Technology Solutions.
Messages were left requesting comment from the Strong and Devito campaigns on their fundraising progress on Monday.
Alabama’s 2026 primary elections will take place on May 19, and the general election on November 3.
