Dems’ fundraising: Recordsetting war chests boost Senate races in “safe” GOP states.

WASHINGTON — Buoyed by massive fundraising success, Democratic Senate candidates are mounting a push in Republican states that few would have thought possible just a few months ago, placing continued GOP control of the chamber at risk.

In South Carolina, Sen. Lindsey Graham’s challenger, Democrat Jaime Harrison, shattered fundraising records when he announced on Sunday a $ 57 million haul for the quarter that ended in September. MJ Hegar in Texas reported raising over $ 13 million during the same period for her race against Republican Sen. John Cornyn. In deepred Kentucky, Amy McGrath has posted strong fundraising numbers against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. In Mississippi, Mike Espy reported raising $ 4 million in his rematch against Republican Sen. Cindy HydeSmith.

The windfall speaks to the energy coursing through a restive Democratic base that hopes not only to oust President Trump, but also to flip control of the Senate, where Republicans have a 5347 majority. That will be key for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to enact his agenda, if he wins.

But the flood of money flowing to highprofile Senate candidates is so large, it’s not at all clear the recipients will have time to spend it. That may inadvertently short lowprofile states and candidates who may not engender the same fervor from party activists and could use an infusion of resources. And since much of it is coming from donors outside their states, it’s an imperfect measure of the candidates’ chances — especially in red states.

“For Jaime Harrison and Amy McGrath, money can buy you a lot of TV advertising,” said Josh Holmes, a Republican strategist and McConnell adviser. “But they are never going to have enough money to buy another 2 million liberal voters in South Carolina and Kentucky.”

The cautionary tale for these candidates is Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who in 2018 raised a recordbreaking $ 80 million for his losing Senate campaign against Republican incumbent Ted Cruz, who was widely reviled by liberal activists and donors. O’Rourke was criticized for being too stingy with his cash, only reluctantly aiding other Democrats, though he eventually donated large amounts to the Texas Democratic Party.

The money to Democrats has heightened a sense of dread among Republicans. They’ve watched as developments this year — including a global pandemic, a faltering economy and the president’s diagnosis of COVID19 — have expanded the map of competitive races.