Show Us the Money

Ariel Rivera-Diaz, a Republican challenger running for New York's 14th Congressional District, raised $1,524.50 in 2026 campaign finance activity through March 31, according to federal records. Every dollar came from individual donors. The campaign spent $1,494.50 and closed the reporting period with just $7.20 cash on hand.

Rivera-Diaz's candidate receipts tell a straightforward story. The campaign reported no PAC money, no party contributions, no loans, and no transfers from other authorized committees. Total individual contributions equaled total receipts with nothing else on the books. After nearly spending down the full amount raised, the campaign had essentially no financial cushion heading into the primary.

PAC and Organizational Contributors

Rivera-Diaz received no contributions from political action committees or any other political organizations. There were no committee transfers, no party money, and no refunds issued. The campaign's funding picture is entirely dependent on individual donors, with zero organizational support on record.

State Comparison

Rivera-Diaz's $1,524.50 in total receipts places the campaign near the very bottom of New York's congressional fundraising landscape. The top three fundraisers in the state this cycle are Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) at $31.1 million, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-08) at $14.0 million, and challenger Peter Chatzky (D-NY-17) at $11.7 million.

Rivera-Diaz's haul amounts to less than one-thousandth of one percent of the roughly $799.3 million raised collectively by all New York House candidates in the 2026 cycle. Ocasio-Cortez alone, who holds the same seat Rivera-Diaz is seeking, has $15.9 million cash on hand, a gap of more than $15.9 million compared to Rivera-Diaz's $7.20.

Party spending data shows Democrats hold a commanding financial advantage statewide. New York's 87 Democratic House candidates have raised a combined $147.9 million in political donations in 2026, compared to $38.8 million across 29 Republican candidates.

Incumbents vs. Challengers

Incumbents are dominating the field in New York. Among the top fundraisers in the state, incumbents like Ocasio-Cortez, Jeffries, Rep. Daniel Goldman, and Rep. Michael Lawler each hold millions in cash on hand. Challengers and open-seat candidates generally trail far behind, though a handful, like Chatzky ($11.7M) and Blake Gendebien ($5.0M), have raised competitive sums.

Rivera-Diaz, classified as a challenger with no incumbent status, sits at the lowest tier of the New York congressional fundraising field. No outside spending was reported either in support of or in opposition to the campaign.

*Source: Federal Election Commission (FEC), data current as of March 31, 2026.*

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