Democrats Are Outaising Republicans in Key Senate Races

There’s a fundraising disparity between GOP Senate candidates and their cash-flush Democratic opponents in key midterm races, and party leadership is sounding the alarm that Republican donors need to pony up.

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel told major backers this week that the GOP needs to start closing the gap before it becomes insurmountable. The Republicans have strong candidates and favorable political headwinds, she argued, but could lose Senate contests if the fundraising becomes too lopsided. Republicans only need to net one seat in November to gain control of the Senate.

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“We absolutely have better candidates and a better message,” McDaniel said on a call obtained by Politico. “But we do need financial firepower to drive our effort.”

“Our candidates can win if they’re outspent 2-to-1, but if it gets 4, 5, 6 to 1, it becomes more difficult, and we’re seeing that specifically on the Senate side,” she continued. “So, my call to action today is to please help us invest in these Senate races specifically. Give to any of these Senate candidates, all of these Senate candidates if you can, so all of them can be on TV.”

The latest campaign fundraising numbers submitted to the Federal Election Commission don’t paint a rosy picture for Republicans. Of the 10 top-raising Senate candidates, six are Democrats in competitive races. Two of the three Republicans in the top 10, Sen. Tim Scott (SC) and Sen. John Kennedy (LA), aren’t facing serious challenges.

Although the most recent fundraising numbers are as of June 30, the figures may not have improved much over the last couple of months if Republicans are pleading for cash. The next filing deadline is Oct. 15.

These metrics do not include outside spending on behalf of or against candidates on advertising. The Senate Leadership Fund is pouring millions into must-win Senate races, for example. This includes $37.1 million for Herschel Walker in Georgia and $15.1 million for Adam Laxalt in Nevada. Other targeted races include North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, where Republicans are also getting outraised.

Here are the top competitive Senate races where Democratic candidates have been most financially successful and where Republicans have major ground to make up.

Georgia

Raphael Warnock (D-GA) tops the list of most successful Senate fundraisers this cycle, having raised nearly $85 million for his reelection bid. His Republican opponent, Walker, had raised $20.2 million as of June 30.

Walker has personal baggage that could be harming his appeal, including the revelation of two children not previously disclosed publicly and allegations that he threatened his ex-wife. He was endorsed in the primary by both former President Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Arizona

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) is second overall with $54.1 million raised. Blake Masters, his Republican challenger, did not break $5 million.

The Senate Leadership Fund, a political action committee tied to McConnell, announced Friday that it was canceling an $8 million ad buy in Arizona and reallocating the money to more competitive races. Masters has been lagging in the polls.

Florida

Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) takes third overall: She has raised nearly $48 million in her bid to take down Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), according to the latest filing data.

Nonetheless, Rubio has been very successful in fundraising and is a seasoned senator who won two elections by safe margins. He has raised $36.8 million.

Rubio had been polling ahead of Demings for months, but a recent poll shows a tight race.

Nevada

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) has raised over $30 million as of June 30, while GOP nominee Laxalt hauled in $7.4 million.

Republicans are courting the Hispanic vote in order to oust Cortez Masto, who is the first Latina to serve in the Senate. According to recent polling, she holds a 7-point lead over Laxalt.

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New Hampshire

New Hampshire will not hold primary elections until Sep. 13, but incumbent Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan had garnered almost $27 million in donations as of June 30. This will give her a major advantage over the Republican nominee, who is yet to be chosen from a crowded field.

Pennsylvania

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman ranks 10th with over $26 million raised as of June 30. He is ahead of Republican nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz, who raised $19 million. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report recently moved the race’s rating from “toss up” to “leans Democrat.”

Fetterman suffered a stroke the day before the primary and has slowly made his way back onto the campaign trail. But this hasn’t stopped him from getting into internet spats with Oz’s campaign. The latest battle involved Fetterman mocking Oz, who lamented the rising cost of crudite in a viral video filmed at a grocery store. Oz’s campaign responded by saying Fetterman wouldn’t have had a stroke if he had “ever eaten a vegetable in his life.”