Senate Democrats are padding their war chests, raising significantly more money than many of their Republican counterparts in the first three months of this year, according to campaign finance records.
The Democratic incumbents who are most at risk of losing their seats this November, such as Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Jon Tester (D-MT), posted some of the highest fundraising totals. However, even with the major fundraising haul, the battlefield for Democrats to defend their slim 51-49 governing majority still tilts upward.
Brown, who running for a fourth term in Ohio, has raised close to $34 million, a number that includes the $12 million he reported in the first three months of 2024. He closed out March with more than $15.9 million cash on hand, over nine times more than his Republican challenger, Bernie Moreno. The Ohio GOP candidate, who won his primary last month, raised $3.8 million, which included the $1.5 million he loaned his campaign, ending the first quarter with about $1.7 million in campaign cash.
Meanwhile, Tester raised $8 million in the first quarter, outraising likely Republican opponent Tim Sheehy by a 3-1 ratio. The haul was the most raised in the first quarter of a Montana Senate election ever, and Tester’s campaign reported ending the first quarter with about $12.6 million in cash on hand. Sheehy brought in $ 2.6 million, including $500,000 that he loaned the campaign, bringing the total the former Navy SEAL has loaned his campaign to $1.45 million this cycle.
In the race for Arizona’s open seat, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) raised $7.5 million in the first quarter and has more than $9.6 million in cash on hand. The Democratic congressman is likely to face Kari Lake, the front-running Republican candidate, in a race now considered a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. In comparison, her campaign raised $4.1 million in the first three months of the year, ending March with $2.5 million cash on hand.
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) raised $5 million in the first quarter of the year, more than doubling the amount raised by GOP candidate Sam Brown, who is backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Rosen had $13 million in cash on hand at the end of the period, compared to Brown’s $2.3 million.
In the race for Michiagan’s open seat, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) out-fundraised GOP candidate former Rep. Mike Rogers by more than a 4-1 ratio. Slotkin reported $8.6 million in cash on hand, while Rogers reported having $1.4 million.
“Battle-tested Senate Democrats’ strong fundraising is a testament to the support they have earned from voters and grassroots supporters,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Tommy Garcia said. “While each day brings new revelations about Republican Senate candidates’ lies, baggage, and disqualifying flaws, Senate Democrats are building winning campaigns and communicating with voters about how they are fighting for the priorities of hard-working Americans.”
However, Republicans leaned on the personal wealth of some of their candidates, which resulted in more impressive fundraising hauls in both Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) raised $5.4 million, closing out the quarter with $10 million in cash on hand. However, her GOP opponent, Eric Hovde, raised $9 million in the first quarter, which included loaning his campaign $8 million of his own money. Baldwin has more than $10 million in cash on hand, while Hovde has $5.3 million.
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In Pennsylvania, GOP candidate Dave McCormick raised $5.4 million, which included $1 million of his own personal wealth, putting him on the same playing field as incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), who raised $5.7 million. McCormick has $6.2 million in cash on hand, the same amount that Casey has in his coffers.
Republicans have historically lagged Democrats in fundraising, and, with some exceptions, this cycle will be no different. Even with the advantage for Senate Democrats in terms of campaign cash, the map to defend their slim 51-49 majority ultimately favors Republicans, with pick-up opportunities in red states such as Ohio and Montana as well as toss-up races in Nevada and beyond. Republicans only have to flip one or two seats to win back the majority.
