Senate Democratic candidates keep the cash flowing, new filings show

Senate Democratic candidates in battleground races continued to haul in massive amounts of money in October, the newest federal filings show.

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The latest fundraising disclosures showed that all but one Democrat in a race that Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates as competitive outraised their Republican opponents in the first two weeks since the close of the third quarter on Sept. 30 — the time period covered in the pre-general election reports that were due to the Federal Election Commission before Friday. Most of the Democrats also reported bigger bank balances than their GOP opponents for the final stretch of the campaign. 

Leading the way was James Talarico, the Democrat looking to flip Texas’ open Senate seat. He reported raising $17.6 million in the first two weeks of the month, far outpacing his Republican opponent, state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who raised $2.8 million. 

Other top Democratic fundraisers during the covered time period were Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed, who raised $8.7 million; former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who raised $6.7 million; and Kansas pastor Adam Hamilton, who has forced a closer-than-expected race in the traditionally red state and reported raising $5.6 million.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, one of the top fundraisers of the cycle, raised $5.5 million for his reelection race in Georgia.

All 14 Democrats running in Senate races rated as competitive by Inside Elections reported raising more than $1 million during the first two weeks of October, a benchmark met by six Republicans.

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Former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, who is seeking to flip an open seat in Minnesota, was the top Republican fundraiser for the truncated period and the only Republican to outraise her Democratic opponent. She raised $2.8 million to Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan’s $1.3 million. Inside Elections rates the race Lean Democratic. 

The other top Republican fundraisers were former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers (nearly $2.5 million); Florida Sen. Ashley Moody ($1.2 million); Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts ($1.1 million, which included a $1 million contribution to his campaign); and Maine Sen. Susan Collins ($1.1 million).

Tafoya, Rogers and Collins were the only Republicans to report more cash in their coffers on Oct. 14 compared with their Democratic rivals. 

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also outraised its Republican counterpart over the same two-week stretch, FEC filings show. The DSCC raised $28 million and had $20.7 million on hand for the campaign’s closing weeks, with $15 million in debt. The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised $9.9 million, had $25.2 million banked and was $20 million in debt.

Senate Majority PAC, a super PAC with ties to Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York, raised $29.5 million over the first two weeks of October and had $32.7 million in the bank at Oct. 14. The pro-Republican Senate Leadership Fund hauled in $19 million but had $88 million on hand for the final sprint to Election Day. SLF reported debts of $37,000.

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