Oakley Hits Six Figures for Third Fundraising Quarter in a Row

Montclair, NJ — Unlike Payne Jr.’s reliance on corporate donors, Imani Oakley, progressive candidate for Congress in N.J.’s 10th Congressional District, has once again reported high fundraising numbers from individual donors in all fifty states.

Oakley announced Friday that her campaign raised $127,901.23 in her third filing — for a total of $395,411.20 since announcing her run for office six months ago. Impressively, aside from a single donation from the Elect Black Women PAC, that number is entirely made up of contributions from individual donors.

“I’m running a people-powered campaign. Full stop,” Oakley said. “Unlike my opponent, I’m not taking a dime from union-busters, predatory lenders, or climate polluters, and my support still spans nationwide.”

Oakley’s campaign also pointed out several ways Payne Jr.’s donor base and theirs differed.

In total this cycle, over 70% of his campaign donations have come from corporate donors and PACs. While Payne Jr.’s historic average donation was $1,177, Oakley’s support is overwhelmingly small-dollar and grassroots, with an average donation of $32.39.

Payne Jr.’s campaign disclosures also show that — despite repeatedly being asked to disavow them — he has continued to accept donations from controversial special interests such as oil pipeline lobbyists, union-busters, weapons manufacturers, and pharmaceutical conglomerates.

On the other hand, Oakley has vowed not to take any corporate PAC money, and has signed the #NoFossilFuelMoney pledge to reject all fossil fuel PAC donations as well as the CODEPINK #DivestFromtheWarMachine pledge to refuse money from weapons developers.

“Where is Donald Payne Jr. when our houses are being foreclosed on? When rent is going up? When every day people are being taxed more than his corporate cronies?,” Oakley said. “It’s time our district had someone who will go to Congress and represent the people and not corporations that are ruining our livelihoods.”

Oakley, who is running a progressive primary challenge in New Jersey’s 10th district, is a graduate of the prestigious Howard University Law School, the oldest HBCU law school in the country, and has been endorsed by Elect Black Women PAC, Black Lives Matter PAC, Harvard College Dems, Brand New Congress, Catch Fire, Roadmap for Progress, Building Bridges for America, Future Generations PAC, Peace Action, and many more.

Imani Oakley is a long-time political organizer and pro-democracy activist running for Congress in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District. The seat covers parts of Essex, Union, and Hudson counties. Her time working in New Jersey political spaces has made one thing clear: our state suffers from rabid corruption. Her campaign is dedicated to ending this system and lifting up working-class communities. Look for her in Ballot Siberia (the area of your New Jersey ballot where primary challengers are found) in the New Jersey primary election on June 7.

For more information about Imani, please visit: Oakleyforcongress.com