I don’t live in a state that is very competitive in the presidential race or that has a competitive Senate race this year. I’ve donated to a range of Democratic Senate campaigns ranked “toss-up,” “lean Republican,” or “lean Democrat,” but I’m not sure which ones should get more of my money than others.
I wish I had more of a passion for one candidate or other but for me donating to Senate races is mainly about doing all I can to help there be a Democratic Senate majority to help a future (I hope) President Biden get his legislative agenda passed.
That said, if my main goal is maximizing the number of Democrats in the Senate, should I give more money to the closest races or should I give more to races where the candidates have a decent chance of winning but are farther behind their Republican rivals in the polls and maybe need more help? Should I focus on races in smaller states or with less expensive media markets where my money is likely to go further? Should I give more to races in states where the electoral college may go to Trump but the Senate race might be won by a Democrat (and where maybe the Democrat therefore needs more money to win) or to states that are Presidential election swing states so giving money to a Senate candidate there does more to help Biden win? And should the fact that a candidate has already raised a lot of money or has raised more than his or her Republican opponent make me less likely to donate to a candidate, or should I take into account that there is probably a ton of Republican dark money out there (especially now that many big Republican donors are giving less to Trump and focusing more on down-ballot races) that makes even big fundraising numbers for a Democratic candidate seem not so big?
If anyone here is willing to share what Senate races they are donating most to and why (especially Senate races in states they don’t live in or have particular ties to), that would help.
Sorry if I seem too cynical and not like the kind of voter that many of you prefer, one who donates to candidates because I believe in their personality, experience, and policies more than those of other Democrats in other Senate races. I just think that our country is in an existential crisis and we need the biggest Democratic majority possible in Washington to deal with it. Obviously, if you think there are some Democratic candidates who will be more obstructionist than others to the overall party agenda (so maybe I should donate a little less to them), you can say so, but I also need to take into account how much worse a Republican might be in that seat in terms of blocking a Democratic agenda.
I’m open to all suggestions!
