In North Carolina and Georgia, Democratic Senate candidates are lapping their Republican rivals in fundraising, according to new campaign finance reports.
It’s the latest ominous sign for Michael Whatley and Mike Collins, the Republican candidates who have seen national party attention shift to other races amid attempts to win enough seats to retain a Senate majority.
North Carolina’s Whatley raised $13.4 million during the two-year 2026 election cycle. His Democratic opponent, Roy Cooper, raised nearly that much money in just the three-month period from July to September — and $47 million overall for the cycle.
Cooper ended September with $12.5 million on hand. Whatley ended September with about $900,000 on hand, according to FEC records.
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Cooper has consistently led Whatley in polling. Earlier this month, Republicans’ Senate Leadership Fund super PAC shifted funds from North Carolina to races in Kansas and South Carolina, and Whatley’s own campaign committee does not have any TV ads reserved.
In Georgia, Collins has raised just $5.8 million this election cycle through Sept. 30 — a tiny fraction of the nearly $125 million incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff has raised.
Ossoff raised $33 million from July through September and entered October armed with $26 million ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3.
Collins raised $2.8 million during the same three-month span and had only $1.1 million on hand entering October.
As in North Carolina, Ossoff has consistently led in Georgia polls, and national PACs aligned with both parties have pulled spending out — a sign they view an Ossoff victory as a fait accompli.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s Senate Leadership Fund shifted nearly $2 million from Georgia to South Carolina, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s Senate Majority PAC removed ad spending it had reserved for this week.
Thune’s Senate Leadership Fund finished September with $155 million on hand, while Schumer’s Senate Majority PAC reported $112 million.
Thune’s PAC is spending heavily in Alaska, Maine and Texas.
In Texas, Republican Ken Paxton, the party’s Senate nominee, is being supported by more than $150 million in super PAC cash from Elon Musk, the world’s richest man. Paxton’s own campaign raised $10.3 million from July 1 through Sept. 30 and had $4.9 million on hand going into October.
Democrat James Talarico’s campaign committee raised $60 million during the same period, bringing his fundraising total for the cycle to nearly $129 million. Talarico’s campaign began October with $14.6 million on hand, according to FEC records.
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