Kelly raises nearly $37M in another big quarter for AZ Dems
Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly raised nearly $37 million in an 11week span ending in September and nearly doubled his already-staggering campaign war chest in that time.
The former NASA astronaut once again outraised his opponent, Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., who posted figures that most Senate candidates could only hope to bring in.
McSally raised $20.5 million and finished with $12.2 million in cash entering the stretch run of the race to finish the final two years of the late Sen. John McCain's 2016 term.
Kelly, however, had $18.8 million in cash entering October even after spending $39 million from mid-July to the end of September. He has raised $83 million overall through September.
His totals spiked in the days after days immediately after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg late on Sept. 18.
The Arizona race, technically a special election, gained new national attention after The Arizona Republic reported that Kelly would be seated before January if he wins, adding another wrinkle to the efforts to quickly fill Ginsburg's seat.
Democrats running in Arizona's two most competitive House races also posted notable cash advantages over their Republican opponents as well.
In the 6th Congressional District, Democrat Hiral Tipirneni significantly outraised Rep. David Schweikert, RAriz., once more, taking in nearly four times as much money through September and maintaining a nearly $1 million cash edge over him.
Rep. Tom O'Halleran, D-Ariz., also added to his financial advantage over Republican challenger Tiffany Shedd in the 1st Congressional District that spans northeastern Arizona.
Ginsburg's death appeared to be a factor in Kelly and McSally's fundraising totals.
The day of her death, Kelly's campaign took in $485,000 from individual donors who gave at least $200. Over the next two days after, Kelly took in $6.4 million from such donors.
McSally saw a boom in donations, too, but it was far smaller. The day Ginsburg died, she received $148,000 from individual donors. The next two days she received $1.3 million.
On Sept. 27, the day after President Donald Trump nominated U.S. Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace Ginsburg, Kelly's campaign took in $3.8 million.
McSally's donors sent her $2.9 million.
As large as Kelly's fundraising was, it only helped offset the spending by outside groups in the Senate race.
According to Federal Election Commission records, Defend Arizona, the group with ties to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has spent at least $13 million opposing Kelly.
The Senate Leadership Fund, another group with ties to McConnell, has poured $8.6 million into the race against Kelly, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee has spent $7.7 million against him.
By comparison, the Senate Majority PAC, a group with ties to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has spent $7.8 million attacking McSally and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee added $4.9 million opposing her.
Kelly benefited from $1 million in supportive spending by Priorities USA Action, whose top donor this cycle is Donald Sussman, the chief investment officer of the Paloma Funds and founder of a separate group that invests in Asia.
As their campaigns for the Scottsdale-based 6th Congressional District headed into the final weeks, Tipirneni raised $2.4 million compared with Schweikert's $632,000.
She ended with $1.5 million in cash, while the five-term Arizona Republican had $546,000.
It was the best fundraising period yet for Tipirneni, who has been one of the most prolific Democratic challengers running for Congress this year.
Even as Schweikert posted his best fundraising period of the race, his campaign sank deeper in debt by the end of September. He owed $140,000, much of it in legal expenses.
The fundraising period covers July 16 through Sept. 30.