Robert Schmad
Democratic Senate campaigns and the campaigns of independents caucusing with the Democrats have raised more than twice as much as Republican senatorial campaigns, according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
Of the $496.2 million raised by Senate candidates since 2019, Democratic candidates raised $289.6 million, whereas Republicans have only raised $146.1 million. The Democratic total rises to $338.5 million when donations for Sens. Bernie Sanders, Angus King and Kyrsten Sinema, independents who caucus with the Democrats, are considered.
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin recently announced he will not seek reelection, so the $11.3 million he raised was subtracted from the FEC’s figure. Roughly $50 million of the funds Democratic senatorial campaigns raised came from the candidates running in California’s Senate primary as Democrats.
Republicans suffered a slate of defeats during Tuesday’s elections after being outspent by Democrats in five out of six key races. Democrats spent more on advertising during the elections in Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Republicans failed to retake the governor’s mansion in Kentucky, lost seats in the state legislatures of Virginia and New Jersey, were unable to pick up a state supreme court seat in Pennsylvania and failed to defeat a ballot measure enshrining the right to an abortion in Ohio’s constitution, a state former President Donald Trump won by 8 points in 2020.
Republicans won the gubernatorial election in Mississippi, the only key state where Republicans outspent Democrats. Incumbent Gov. Tate Reeves won 51.6% of the vote, underperforming Trump’s 2020 vote share of 57.6%.
Republicans trail Democrats in fundraising in competitive Senate seats that could decide which party controls the chamber after the 2024 elections.
Democratic or Democrat-aligned incumbents are up for reelection in every 2024 Senate race that Cook Political Report calls “competitive.” Incumbents have had significantly longer to fundraise than their opponents, which may explain the gap in fundraising.
Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, defending his seat in Ohio, has raised $21.2 million this senatorial cycle. Matt Dolan, Brown’s highest fundraising Republican challenger, has only raised $8.8 million.
Democrats outraised Republicans in the race for Montana’s Senate seat, another election that will likely be crucial in determining control of the Senate. Democratic Sen. Jon Tester has raised $19.6 million, while Tester’s top Republican challenger, Tim Sheehy, has only raised $2.9 million.
Democratic Senate campaigns have outraised their Republican counterparts in Wisconsin, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Republicans, however, have a slight edge over Democrats in fundraising for House campaigns, according to the FEC.
Of the $522 million raised by House campaigns since 2023, $274.8 million went to Republicans, and $245 million went to Democrats. “House Republicans continued their fundraising bonanza this quarter as members continue to put their campaigns in a position that allows for growing the majority,” NRCC National Press Secretary Will Reinert told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Democrats did, however, have the edge in third-quarter fundraising for seats rated “toss up” by Cook.
President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign has also outraised former President Donald Trump’s campaign, according to CNN.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.
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