Independents lead Senate with most campaign cash heading into 2024
Cami Mondeaux
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Nearly all of the 33 incumbent senators up for reelection in 2024 filed their year-end campaign fundraising reports to the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday, revealing where the candidates stand as they mull another term.
Independent Sens. Bernie Sanders (VT) and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ) helped lead the pack with the most cash on hand, reporting $9.7 million and $8.2 million, respectively. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) also reported a strong campaign chest, with $9.5 million cash on hand, according to FEC filings.
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Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) were among those who raised the most money during the final quarter of 2022, raking in $3.4 million and $1.2 million, respectively. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) also has a strong showing, raising $1.5 million in the fourth quarter.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who is expected to retire by the end of her term, reported a sum of only $558 in the last quarter — giving her less than $1 million in her campaign chest total. Meanwhile, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) reported less than $30,000, raising questions about whether he might also be considering retirement.
The latest FEC filings come as Democrats seek to determine which seats to pour all their resources into as they prepare for what is projected to be a tough election cycle. Democrats will have to defend 23 Senate seats in the 2024 election compared to just 11 for Republicans, giving the GOP a chance to flip some crucial seats.
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Republicans only need to flip one Senate seat to win the majority should they win back the White House in 2024. If they don’t regain the Oval Office, the party will only need to secure two extra Senate seats.
At least one Democrat, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), has announced her intent to retire in 2024, giving the party at least one open seat it’ll have to defend. Making things more difficult, Democrats will need to defend a number of seats located in reliably red states that overwhelmingly backed former President Donald Trump in 2020.