By Greg Giroux, CQ Staff

U.S. House incumbents almost always raise plenty of campaign cash, but there are a lot of congressional challengers in this year’s election who are going to amass a lot of money but lose. This truism is evident in a CQ Politics analysis of the best-financed House challengers to incumbents of the opposite party, according to updated campaign finance reports that were recently filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

The following CQ Politics “Top 10” list of best-financed challengers to opposite-party incumbents includes hopefuls who run the gamut of political competitiveness — from challengers who have little chance of victory despite their big bankrolls, to those who have more auspicious chances of supplanting the incumbents.

This compilation actually includes two “Top 10” lists of well-funded challengers — those who have the most campaign receipts, including personal loans or contributions from the candidate, and those who reported having the most cash reserves entering the homestretch of the campaign.

Please click HERE and HERE for longer lists of the best-funded candidates who are challenging incumbents of the opposite party. All figures are current to Sept. 30.

House challenger candidates who reported the most campaign receipts

1. Sandy Treadwell, Republican, New York’s 20th ($5.4 million). Treadwell, a former New York secretary of state, ranks first because he’s given more than $4.4 million of his own money to fund a campaign against Democratic Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand , who is herself exceptionally well-funded with $4.4 mllion in total receipts. CQ Politics rates this race Leans Democratic.

2. Jim Oberweis, Republican, Illinois’ 14th ($5 million). Oberweis, a dairy company executive, spent most of his overall receipts earlier in this cycle, as he bid to succeed the former Republican Speaker J. Dennis Hastert in a Republican-leaning district he vacated with his resignation last year. Oberweis lost a special election in March to Democrat Bill Foster , who is more decisively favored in their rematch next month. Foster raised $4.6 million. Oberweis’ personal loans and contributions to his campaign total more than $3.8 million.

3. Deborah Honeycutt, Republican, Georgia’s 13th ($4.4 million). Honeycutt, a physician who is challenging Democratic Rep. David Scott , has spent heavily on a direct-mail campaign in this Democratic-leaning district near Atlanta. She was also the 2006 Republican nominee for this seat but won 31 percent of the vote. CQ Politics rates this race Safe Democrat.

4. Darcy Burner, Democrat, Washington’s 8th ($3.2 million). Burner, a former Microsoft manager, is waging a rematch campaign in suburban Seattle against Republican Rep. Dave Reichert , who won their 2006 race by 3 percentage points. This race, too, is tight: its rating: No Clear Favorite.

5. Jim Himes, Democrat, Connecticut’s 4th ($2.9 million). Himes, who has a background in investment banking, is challenging Republican Rep. Christopher Shays , the only Republican in the U.S. House from a New England state, in a race that has no clear favorite.

6. Chris Hackett, Republican, Pennsylvania’s 10th ($2.7 million). Hackett, a businessman, is challenging one-term Democratic Rep. Christopher Carney in a northeastern Pennsylvania district that historically has voted Republican. CQ Politics rates this race Leans Democratic.

7. Michael Skelly, Democrat, Texas’ 7th ($2.7 million). Skelly, a wind company executive, is taking on four-term Republican Rep. John Culberson in a district that includes a part of Houston. His receipts include nearly $1 million in personal loans or contributions from the candidate. CQ Politics rating: Republican Favored.

8. William Russell, Republican, Pennsylvania’s 12th ($2.5 million). Russell, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, is a longshot challenger to Democratic Rep. John P. Murtha , who has thrilled liberals and angered conservatives with his strong denunciations of the Bush administration’s policies in Iraq. Like Honeycutt’s operation in Georgia, Russell’s campaign is spending heavily on a direct-mail campaign. CQ Politics rates this race Safe Democrat.