Jordan Carleo-Evangelist is reporting at Capitol Confidential Sean Eldridge is maintaining his fundraising lead on U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson in the 19th Congressional District, despite what Gibson’s campaign said was his most fruitful fundraising quarter of his congressional career. In a related story, John Mason is reporting in the Register Star Gibson challenged Eldridge on Tues., Apr. 15, to a mutual campaign finance cap of $2 million. The Eldridge campaign called Gibson's invitation a phony, election-year device. The Eldridge campaign said it would report raising more than $520,000 during the first quarter of this year, $250,000 of which came from matching funds of the candidate’s own money. This leaves Eldridge with more than $1.5 million in cash on hand. Eldridge, the husband of Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, lives in Shokan, Ulster Co. Gibson, a Kinderhook Republican and two-term incumbent, will report raising $459,000, leaving him with more than $1.2 million on hand, his campaign said. The 19th Congressional District is expected to be among the most competitive races in the country. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.