Democrat Jon Ossoff's $8.3 million haul in Georgia's 6th Congressional district wasn't a fluke. Democratic politicians across the board are getting a lot of attention from donors—both big and small—hoping to flex their muscle in the next election. That's especially true for Senate Democrats who are working to beat back Republicans from gaining enough seats to secure a veto-proof majority in the upper chamber. Fredreka Schouten writes:
The 10 Democratic incumbents up for re-election in states carried by President Trump collectively raised nearly $19 million between Jan. 1 and March 31, more than twice what they collected during the comparable period of their last Senate campaigns, a USA TODAY tally of newly released figures shows. [...]
Nathan Gonzales, who tracks Senate races as editor of the non-partisan Inside Elections newsletter, said the surge in fundraising underscores the power of incumbents to raise money and the energy of liberal donors in the Trump era. [...]
“Democratic donors and Democrats in general are itching for the next fight,” Gonzales said.
But Republicans aren't exactly short on cash either.
The National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $7 million in March alone, its highest monthly haul in a non-election year, party officials said.
Democrats face a much tougher Senate map in 2018, where they will be defending 25 seats (including two Independent Senators) to the GOP's nine seats. To gain the majority, Democrats will need a three-seat pick up. But more than likely, they'll be playing defense to keep the seats they have. Here’s the breakdown of the 10 Democrats running for reelection in Trump districts:
Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, with $2.8 million, brought in just $1.1 million in the same period six years ago while Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, with $2.7 million, raised just $1.3 million in the first quarter of his last reelection bid. On the low end, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin raised $556,198, which was only a $27,000 bump for him from his previous numbers.
In other good signs for Democrats, Republicans are having a little trouble recruiting quality candidates for Senate.