Four takeaways from second-quarter fundraising reports

WASHINGTON — The second quarter of the year brought more big fundraising hauls for House Republicans and millions more for Senate Democrats’ most endangered incumbent.

The fundraising reports, which were due by midnight Tuesday to the Federal Election Commission, offer the latest updates on how candidates fared in their money-raising efforts over the three-month period from April to June and how the different races are shaping up.

Already, since Republicans passed their sweeping tax and spending package earlier this month, both parties have pivoted to how they’re going to campaign on the law in next year’s midterm election.

The campaign arm for House Republicans once again touted a strong quarter for their vulnerable incumbents ahead of an election cycle that history suggests should be a challenge for the majority party.

“House Republicans are steamrolling vulnerable Democrats in the money race, and it’s not even close,” Mike Marinella, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement. “While Republicans build a war chest to grow the majority, Democrats are leaderless, divided, and banished to the wilderness – and now their donors are closing their checkbooks.”

The NRCC’s Democratic counterpart took aim at the cuts in the recently enacted budget law that Democrats contend will sour voters on the GOP.

“House Republicans are running scared – so they’re turning to their D.C. Party Bosses to bail them out with big checks after voting for the largest cut to Medicaid and food assistance in history to pay for billionaire tax breaks,” Viet Shelton, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement. “Last cycle, House Democrats defied political gravity – and we will do so again when we take back the House next year.”

Here are four takeaways from the latest fundraising reports:

Vulnerable senators post strong hauls

Two senators facing competitive reelection races padded their war chests over the three months ended June 30. Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, the chamber’s most vulnerable Democrat and its most fruitful fundraiser, had another big quarter, taking in more than $10 million after raising $11 million during the first three months of the year. He ended June with more than $15 million on hand.

Ossoff far outpaced his two leading Republican rivals: Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter reported raising about $1 million in contributions and loaned his campaign an additional $2 million, while state Insurance Commissioner John King, who entered the race in early May, raised $518,000.

Maine Republican Susan Collins raised $2.4 million between April and June, closing the quarter with $5.3 million on hand as she seeks a sixth term.

Collins has so far drawn one notable Democratic challenge from former congressional staffer Jordan Wood. He brought in $1.6 million in the second quarter and had $804,000 on hand at the end of June.

Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates Ossoff’s and Collin’s races as battlegrounds.

Two Republican senators facing competitive primaries also had big quarters.

In the increasingly hostile GOP campaign in Texas, Sen. John Cornyn’s political operation reported raising $3.9 million, with his campaign bringing in $804,000 directly and the remainder coming from a joint fundraising effort that backs Cornyn but has different rules about how the money can be spent. His rival, state Attorney General Ken Paxton, reported netting $2.9 million through June 30.

In neighboring Louisiana, Sen. Bill Cassidy’s $2.9 million second-quarter haul far exceeded the $117,000 in contributions brought in by state Treasurer John Fleming. (Fleming loaned his campaign $2 million, just as he did in the first quarter. He repaid the initial loan in early April, shortly after the close of the previous quarter.) Cassidy entered July with $8.7 million in the bank.

House members seek cash edge in open Senate races

Some of the most competitive Senate primaries next year are set to occur in open seats in competitive states such as Michigan and Minnesota, as well as states seen as safe for either party, including Illinois and Kentucky.

In Michigan, a crowded Democratic primary is already taking shape to succeed retiring Democrat Gary Peters. State Sen. Mallory McMorrow hauled in $2.1 million in the second quarter and ended June with $827,000 on hand. Rep. Haley Stevens reported raising $2.8 million, but that included $1.5 million she transferred from her House campaign. Stevens entered July with $2 million in the bank.

Former Michigan public health official Abdul El-Sayed raised $1.8 million and had $1.1 million on hand. Former Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate, the most recent entrant into the race, brought in $193,000 and had $70,000 on hand.

On the Republican side, former Rep. Mike Rogers, who lost a 2024 Senate race to Democrat Elissa Slotkin, is the only declared candidate so far. His campaign account raised $745,000, while a joint fundraising committee posted a haul of $779,000. He ended the quarter with $1.1 million in his campaign account.

A potential primary opponent, Michigan Rep. Bill Huizenga, raised $747,000 in the second quarter and had $1.4 million banked on June 30.

In Minnesota, Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are facing off for the Democratic nomination for the seat Democrat Tina Smith is vacating. Craig reported raising $2.5 million in the second quarter, which included a $657,000 transfer from her House campaign. She ended June with $1.8 million on hand. Flanagan reported a quarterly haul of $917,000 and had $783,000 on hand at the end of last month.

In New Hampshire, Rep. Chris Pappas, who so far has the Democratic lane to himself, reported raising $1.8 million and ended the quarter with $2 million on hand. His leading Republican opponent, former Massachusetts Sen. Scott P. Brown, declared his bid in late June, while state Sen. Dan Innis entered the race Wednesday.

The Republican primary in North Carolina was upended late last month when GOP incumbent Thom Tillis announced he would not seek reelection. No prominent Republicans have entered the race so far, while Democrats await a decision by former Gov. Roy Cooper. Former Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel, who launched his campaign in April, brought in $538,000 during the second quarter and ended it with $795,000 in the bank.

Inside Elections rates the Senate races in Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire and North Carolina as battlegrounds.

Meanwhile, the primaries for a pair of open seats will likely determine the next senators for Illinois and Kentucky.

In deep-blue Illinois, a three-way Democratic primary has emerged in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Richard J. Durbin.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi reported raising $12.7 million during the opening months of his campaign, including a $10 million transfer from his House account. He closed the quarter with $11.8 million on hand. Fellow Rep. Robin Kelly posted a haul of $2.5 million, much of which came from her House campaign. She had $2.2 million in her campaign account at the end of June. And Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton raised $1.1 million and entered July with $666,000 banked.

Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s retirement has set off a GOP primary battle in Republican-leaning Kentucky. Rep. Andy Barr reported raising $1.4 million, while former state attorney general Daniel Cameron raised $386,000. A third Republican, businessman Nate Morris, formally entered the race in late June.

Another big quarter for vulnerable House Republicans

House Republicans touted a strong fundraising quarter, which saw 10 of their incumbents in competitive races, as determined by Inside Elections, raise more than $1 million.

They include Reps. Eli Crane and Juan Ciscomani of Arizona; Young Kim and Ken Calvert of California; Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa; Tom Barrett of Michigan; Mike Lawler of New York; Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania; and Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin.

Just one vulnerable Democratic incumbent, Virginia’s Eugene Vindman, reported raising more than $1 million. A pair of Democratic freshmen from California battleground districts posted robust sums: In the Central Valley, Rep. Adam Gray brought in $721,000, while in Orange County, Rep. Derek Tran raised $830,000.

A handful of battleground House members were outraised by their challengers in the second quarter, but many did so because of loans they made to their own campaigns.

In Arizona, GOP Rep. David Schweikert raised $737,000, while the $1 million haul of one of his Democratic opponents, Jonathan Treble, included a $672,000 loan. North Carolina Democrat Don Davis, raised $689,000 between April and June, but Republican Sandy Roberson reported raising $2.3 million, including a $2 million loan. Similarly, Nevada Democrat Susie Lee reported a haul of $623,000, while Republican challenger Marty O’Donnell raised $3 million, nearly all of which came from a loan.

Democratic Rep. Raul Ruiz, whose Southern California seat shifted right on the presidential level last fall, was outraised by one of his GOP challengers, Joe Males, $374,000 to $369,000. The seventh-term incumbent still had more on hand on June 30, with $2 million in the bank compared with Males’ $102,000.

Retirement watch

Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst has not formally announced her reelection plans and has been the subject of retirement rumors. She reported $723,000 in contributions during the second quarter. Among her Democratic rivals, Army and Marine Corps veteran Nathan Sage brought in $709,000 for the quarter, and state Sen. Zach Wahls raised $657,000. J.D. Scholten, a state representative and independent league baseball player, netted $175,000 in contributions in the roughly four week span since kicking off his campaign in early June.

In the House, a handful of older Democratic members reported modest fundraising totals for the second quarter, which is likely to further fuel speculation they could retire.

Illinois Rep. Danny K. Davis, 83, raised $46,000 and ended June with $115,000 on hand. Eleanor Holmes Norton, 88, the longtime nonvoting delegate from the District of Columbia, took in $46,000 and had $29,000 banked. And Georgia Rep. David Scott, 80, raised $109,000 and had $212,000 in the bank.

Meanwhile, South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman, who is expected to announce later this month whether he’ll seek the GOP nomination for governor, reported raising just $25,000 in the second quarter and entered July with $479,000 in his account.