Vulnerable Senate Democrats are building early war chests ahead of tough 2024 races
Samantha-Jo Roth
Video Embed
As senators head back to their home states for the August recess, much of the focus for those up for reelection is fundraising. While Democrats are facing a tough map next year, some of the most vulnerable are outraising Republicans, according to the latest campaign filings.
Nearly two dozen Democratic seats are up for reelection in 2024, with seven incumbents seen as vulnerable, while only 10 Republicans face reelection. Incumbent Democratic Senators playing defense in three states won by former President Donald Trump in 2020 (Ohio, Montana, and West Virginia) have raised more money than they have previously at this point in earlier cycles.
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES TEST HOW FAR THEY CAN GO IN CRITICIZING TRUMP
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced a fundraising haul of $5 million for the second quarter of 2023, with $8.7 million in cash on hand. His seat is rated a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. Brown had $8.7 million in cash on hand. A Republican challenger, Bernie Moreno, who was endorsed by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), brought in $2.2 million. Another Republican challenger, state Sen. Matt Dolan, raised $323,000 between April and June, which is about the same as he raised during the first three months of 2023. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose also announced his candidacy in mid-July, so it is too early to report on his fundraising efforts.
In the second quarter of 2023, Sen. Jon Tester’s (D-MT) reelection campaign also announced that he raised $5 million, breaking his record for non-election-year fundraising. The filings showed he had $10.5 million on hand. The new numbers come after former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy announced his candidacy to run on the Republican side. He is supported by National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines (R-MT) and endorsed by Gov. Greg Gianforte (R-MT).
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), a red state Democrat who has not said yet if he will run for reelection and has been flirting with a third-party presidential run, raised $1.3 million during the second quarter and has more than $10 million in the bank. That’s more than opponent Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV), who raised $935,035 from 5,526 individual donors, and Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV), who raised $411,192.76 in the second quarter. Manchin’s race is currently ranked as a toss-up by the Cook Political Report.
Democrats are touting this fundraising as a sign donors are enthusiastic about Democratic candidates despite a difficult 2024 cycle ahead.
“Voters and grassroots supporters are once again supporting battle-tested Senate Democratic candidates in record ways because they recognize the stakes of this election and the importance of stopping Republicans from implementing their toxic agenda,” said Tommy Garcia, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner.
In Pennsylvania, Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) brought in more than $4 million for his reelection bid. He has no Republican opponent, although the NRSC is working hard to recruit David McCormick, a former hedge fund executive. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) raised $3.2 million, which her campaign claims is the most ever raised in an off-year quarter of a Wisconsin senate race. Both races are ranked as lean Democratic by the Cook Political Report.
In Arizona, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) raised more than incumbent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), who changed her party affiliation from Democrat to independent late last year. Gallego, who launched a bid for Sinema’s seat in January, brought in $3.1 million from April 1 through June 30. Sinema, who has not yet said whether she will run for a second term, raised $1.7 million. Sinema has nearly $10.8 million in her bank account — almost three times more than Gallego. Only one major Republican, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, is in the race. He reported raising $608,000 in the second quarter. Arizonans are bracing for Kari Lake, a polarizing conservative who lost her election for governor last year, to declare a campaign sometime this fall.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX), who announced a run against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in May, brought in more money in the last quarter, raising $6.2 million, while Cruz raised $4.4 million in the last three months. Cruz’s race is ranked by the Cook Political Report as likely Republican. National Republicans are attempting to make the point that money isn’t always an indicator of how an election will go.
“Democrat candidates have virtually unlimited campaign cash and dark money at their disposal every cycle,” said Mike Berg, the communications director for the NRSC. “The problem for them is they are facing a brutal map and are running alongside an extremely unpopular president.”