Democrats raise and spend more than their opponents in Framingham house races

Posted by Megan McKee October 29, 2010 11:40 AM

Campaign funding in the House races for Sixth Middlesex and Seventh Middlesex districts can be summed up in this one sentence: Democrats have money but their challengers don't.

It's most pronounced in the Sixth Middlesex district, where Democrat Chris Walsh is up against two independents, Jim Rizoli and Jim Pillsbury. According to state campaign finance reports, Walsh has raised $13,181 for his campaign since Jan. 1. His challengers have raised $0.

Pillsbury said in an interview that he was trying to fund his campaign all by himself, and was holding onto checks people have written to him. He said he won't cash them if he can help it.

And Rizoli, a lightning rod personality in Framingham, said he hasn't raised any money for the simple reason that everyone knows him and what he's about—combating illegal immigration, which he views as the root of all the town's ills.

“They either love me or hate me,â€