Democrats win Senate --- fundraising

Democratic congressional candidates stockpiled serious campaign cash over the last three months, new fundraising reports show, as the party contends with an increasingly well-funded GOP and looming questions about President Joe Biden’s strength at the top of the ticket.

The financial landscape is positive for Democrats broadly — all but one of their leading candidates in the 10 most competitive Senate races outraised their likely Republican opponents, as did virtually every leading Democratic House candidate in seats rated as “toss ups” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.

Still, Republicans feel good about where they are, as many of their key House candidates have been collecting cash for a tough fall, while some of their top Senate candidates have been tapping into their own personal wealth to keep pace with their opponents. And the overall Senate landscape remains friendly for the GOP.

But it’s all taking place against historic tumult, in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and as Democrats weigh whether Biden should be their presidential nominee — dramatic and difficult developments that could cast a long shadow on the November election.

Democratic Senate candidates had been working to distance themselves from the top of the ticket even before Biden’s disastrous debate performance last month, and are expected to keep doing so.

Last week, Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana launched a TV ad saying he is “taking on everyone” to address rising costs, adding, “I voted to force the Biden administration to expand drilling, to bring down the price of energy, made drug companies lower the cost of prescription drugs.”

Republicans are expected to keep tying these vulnerable Democrats to Biden. Separating themselves from the top of the ticket is arguably a more pressing challenge for Tester and Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, the two Democratic senators running for re-election in states that Trump handily won in 2020.

Both senators are still dominating their Republican opponents in fundraising, with Brown raising $12.8 million to GOP businessman Bernie Moreno’s $4.4 million in the second quarter. Brown ended the period with more than twice as much money in his account. Meanwhile, Tester raised $10.6 million compared with $5.3 million, including a $1 million personal loan, for Republican Tim Sheehy. And Tester ended the quarter with a campaign account more than three times larger than Sheehy's.

Sheehy, an entrepreneur, is among the wealthy Republican candidates who have tapped their own wallets to boost their campaigns. GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida loaned his campaign $5.6 million; Eric Hovde, a Republican running for the Senate in Wisconsin, loaned his campaign $5 million; and Dave McCormick, the Republican Senate nominee in Pennsylvania, loaned his campaign $3.1 million.

While some Republicans have touted money brought in through other fundraising arms, the individual campaign reports filed Monday showed them still falling short of their Democratic opponents. In all but one of the 10 competitive races, Democratic Senate candidates had raised more than their GOP opponents, pulling in a combined $90.6 million to Republicans’ $64.4 million.

Democrats also ended June with more money in their accounts in all but two of those competitive races. The top Democrats ended the quarter with a combined $84.4 million on hand, compared with Republicans’ combined $51.1 million.

“Battle tested Senate Democrats’ strong fundraising is once again a testament to the support they have earned from voters and grassroots supporters,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Tommy Garcia said in a statement. “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 that matter most to hard working Americans.”