WASHINGTON — Democratic Senate contenders are dramatically out-raising their Republican peers, according to Federal Election Commission data — with Georgia’s Jon Ossoff and James Talarico in Texas are leading the pack.
Eight of the top 10 Senate candidate fundraiser this year are Democrats, whose top contestants have raked in $574 million, compared to the Republicans’ $336 million, per the FEC.
Incumbent Sen. Ossoff (D-Ga.) is the biggest fundraiser on both sides, having raked in a jaw-dropping $77 million as of June 30, and has a staggering $42.5 million in cash on hand.
He’s raised nearly $98 million as a Senate candidate, including the 2020 race.
Second to him is Texas Democrat Talarico with a whopping $68.5 million in fund raising and $21.5 million in his war chest.
Then there’s former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) with $38.6 million in fundraising this cycle, and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper with $35 million.
Disgraced oyster farmer Graham Platner, who dropped his bid earlier this month, raked in $21 million, eclipsing incumbent Sen. Susan Collins’ (R-Maine) $16.2 million.
Maine, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Alaska, Texas, North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Iowa are widely considered the most competitive Senate races of this cycle.
Democrats are considered likely to retake the House in the Nov. 3 elections, due to polls and the historical trend of the party in power in the White House losing seats in the midterms.
But the Senate is a tougher call. Based on polls and incumbents, Republicans have an easier path to hold the upper chamber, but Democrats are running neck and neck with them in key races.
Democrats are generally eying Maine, Ohio, North Carolina and Alaska in particular as their easiest path to retaking the Senate.
But to win the upper chamber, they have to defend vulnerable incumbents, including Ossoff, who has proven to be a financial juggernaut.
While individual candidates are having a bonanza, the GOP’s official campaign arm is outperforming its Democratic counterpart, with $48.9 million compared to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s $38.9 million cash on hand, according to the latest financial disclosures.
Similarly, the Republican National Committee has $125.5. million in the bank compared to the Democratic National Committee’s $14.9 million.
Last month, the Supreme Court struck down an election law to pave the way for official party campaigns to coordinate with candidates.
That’s why Republicans’ massive war chest advantage could come in handy even if their candidates are running behind their Democratic peers on the fundraising circuit.
