Democrats running for Senate continued to grow their fundraising considerably in the second quarter of 2020, outraising vulnerable Republican incumbents and candidates in 13 GOP-held seats while smashing records and building their cash on hand in key states. The massive Q2 fundraising hauls are the latest indicator that Democrats are running aggressive campaign operations across the country that will have the resources to expand the map, increase our paths to the majority, and ensure the Senate flips in November.
Over the three-month period from April through June, Democratic Senate challengers outraised Republican incumbents or GOP fields in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, both Senate races in Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, and South Carolina. In the critical races currently rated as toss-ups, Democratic challengers outraised Republicans by $18.5 million in Q2 and now hold an overall cash on hand advantage. Strong Democratic incumbents like Senators Doug Jones in Alabama and Gary Peters in Michigan continued to increase their war chests for the general election.
The DSCC also had its best-ever Q2 fundraising haul with nearly $34 million raised, after bringing in $13.6 million in June — a record total for the committee in June of an election year and our biggest month so far of the cycle. The DSCC’s cash on hand increased to $37.7 million at the end of June. Nearly 70% of the DSCC’s fundraising last quarter came in from grassroots donations online, on the phones, and in the mail.
“Democrats have posted impressive fundraising all cycle, and this quarter’s record-breaking numbers reflect a continued surge in small-dollar grassroots support for flipping the Senate and an unprecedented motivation to hold Republicans in Washington accountable,” said DSCC communications director Lauren Passalacqua. “While Senate Republicans are lying about their attacks on protections for pre-existing conditions in the middle of a pandemic and refusing to hold the president accountable for mismanaging this crisis, Democrats are building momentum and raising the resources it will take to end Mitch McConnell’s majority so we can move our country forward.”
The eye-popping Q2 numbers come as Senate Republicans are confronting a “fundraising emergency” of lagging enthusiasm among small-dollar donors. According to a new POLITICO analysis, “Democratic Senate campaigns have outraised Republicans in small-dollar donations (under $200) in 10 of the 12 most competitive races” and those grassroots donations also represent a higher percentage of individual fundraising for Democrats “in every competitive race featuring a GOP senator.”
Democrats’ fundraising strength has been powerful and growing over the course of the cycle. Democratic Senate challengers outraised vulnerable Republican incumbents and candidates in 10 GOP-held seats in Q1, including by “nearly 2-to-1 margins or more” in critical toss-up races.
Read more about Democrats’ fundraising dominance in Q2:
ALASKA – Dr. Al Gross raised $1.6 million last quarter and will report over $3.2 million in cash on hand, outraising incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan for the third time this cycle.
ARIZONA – Retired NASA astronaut and Navy combat veteran Mark Kelly raised a record $12.8 million in Q2, outraising unelected Senator Martha McSally for the sixth straight quarter in a row. Kelly reported nearly $24 million in cash on hand, more than double what McSally has in the bank.
COLORADO – Former governor John Hickenlooper raised a record-breaking $5.2 million in Q2, outraising Senator Cory Gardner by about $1.6 million and for the third quarter in a row. The average grassroots contribution to the campaign during this period was $23.50, and 95% of the donations were under $200.
GEORGIA (Perdue) – Jon Ossoff raised $3.9 million in Q2, outraising Senator David Perdue by $1.7 million for the full quarter after beating him in the pre-primary fundraising period. Since winning the Democratic nomination on June 10, Ossoff’s campaign raised nearly $3 million in just three weeks. The average contribution in Q2 was only $20.
GEORGIA (Special) – In his first full quarter in the race, Reverend Raphael Warnock raised $2.9 million – nearly doubling his Q1 fundraising haul – and outraised both of his GOP opponents combined. Warnock outraised Trump ally Congressman Doug Collins by more than $1.5 million and unelected scandal-plagued Senator Kelly Loeffler by nearly $2 million in contributions.
IOWA – Businesswoman Theresa Greenfield raised more than $6 million in Q2, the most ever for a Democrat running for Senate in Iowa. Greenfield outraised Senator Joni Ernst again, raising about $2.3 million more than Ernst this time. Greenfield has received more than 24,500 contributions from Iowans in all 99 counties since launching, nearly 98% of the contributions received in Q2 were less than $100, and the campaign’s average contribution was just $30.
KANSAS – Dr. Barbara Bollier raised more than $3.7 million last quarter, once again outraising the entire weak and fractured GOP field combined. Republicans have been stuck in a messy, expensive, and increasingly negative primary fight. Bollier is reporting over $4 million in cash on hand.
KENTUCKY – Retired Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath raised $17.4 million in Q2, once again outraising the GOP Senate’s toxic and unpopular Majority Leader. McGrath has erased Mitch McConnell’s cash on hand advantage, while forcing his Super PAC and dark money group to reserve roughly $15 million total in the state for general election TV ads.
MAINE – House Speaker Sara Gideon raised more than $9 million in Q2, significantly outraising Senator Susan Collins for the fourth quarter in a row and again outpacing her own previous record hauls. Gideon also caught up to Collins’ cash on hand near the end of June. Nearly 13,500 Mainers have donated to Gideon’s campaign this cycle, and 95% of individual donations were under $200 in Q2.
MISSISSIPPI – After only winning by single digits in 2018, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith barely raised over $200,000 in Q2 while former Congressman and Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy outraised her by nearly 3-to-1.
MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock raised a record $7.8 million in Q2, outraising Senator Steve Daines for the second quarter in a row. Bullock is reporting over $7.5 million in cash on hand, narrowly surpassing what Daines has in the bank. Bullock’s campaign received 8,651 contributions from Montanans in Q2. More than 95% of donations were under $200.
NORTH CAROLINA – Army veteran Cal Cunningham raised $7.4 million in Q2, the most ever raised by a Senate candidate in North Carolina in a single quarter, and outraised Tillis by nearly $5 million — almost three times as much as Tillis’ $2.6 million raised. Cal has nearly erased Tillis’ cash on hand advantage and is reporting $6.6 million on hand. Over the course of the cycle, Cal has received donations from nearly 29,000 North Carolinians and 96% of Cal’s contributions have been under $100.
SOUTH CAROLINA – Former educator and South Carolina Democratic Party chair Jaime Harrison’s “small-donor army” fueled his historic $14 million fundraising haul in Q2. Harrison outraised incumbent Senator Lindsey Graham in Q1, and his fundraising has shattered state records.
TEXAS – Decorated combat veteran MJ Hegar raised over $1.7 million in Q2. The fundraising haul is the most Hegar has raised in a quarter since her Senate campaign launched. MJ’s growing fundraising has been fueled by over 56,000 donors and donations from nearly 200 counties in Texas.
NEW MEXICO – Congressman Ben Ray Luján raised $1.5 million in Q2, the fifth quarter in a row that he has raised more than $1 million for his Senate campaign, as he works to hold this open seat.
ALABAMA – Senator Doug Jones again outraised Republicans by a wide margin in Q2, bringing in nearly $2.7 million and reporting nearly $8.8 million in cash on hand, giving him a huge cash advantage for the general election over shady Tommy Tuberville, who is almost broke after a lengthy and expensive runoff.
MICHIGAN – Senator Gary Peters had his strongest quarter to date, raising more than $5.2 million in Q2 — the biggest quarterly haul for any Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan history. Peters is reporting over $12 million in cash on hand. 96% of contributions were $100 or less.
NEW HAMPSHIRE – Senator Jeanne Shaheen outraised the GOP field again in Q2, raising more than $2.5 million and posting $8.65 million in cash on hand. Trump’s endorsed candidate, Corky Messner of Colorado, raised just $115,000 in direct contributions and loaned himself another $600,000, while Don Bolduc raised just $220,000. 95% of Shaheen’s contributions were $100 or less.
Headlines from the states:
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