Next to getting President Joe Biden reelected, Democratic strategists' top priorities for 2024 include flipping the U.S. House of Representatives and keeping their small U.S. Senate majority.
If Biden is reelected but Democrats lose the Senate, that would complicate his second term — as nominees for a president's administration and the federal courts are confirmed via Congress' upper chamber. Democrats are likely to lose a Senate seat in West Virginia now that Sen. Joe Manchin isn't seeking reelection, by they may hold their majority if Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Jon Tester (D-Montana) are reelected.
In an report published by the conservative Washington Examiner on April 17, journalist Samantha-Jo Roth stresses that even the most vulnerable Democratic senators — including Brown and Tester — are outperforming Republicans in terms of fundraising.
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According to Roth, Brown "has raised close to $34 million, a number that includes the $12 million he reported in the first three months of 2024" — while his GOP challenger Bernie Moreno "raised $3.8 million, which included the $1.5 million he loaned his campaign, ending the first quarter with about $1.7 million in campaign cash."
"Meanwhile, Tester raised $8 million in the first quarter, outraising likely Republican opponent Tim Sheehy by a 3-1 ratio," Roth reports. "The haul was the most raised in the first quarter of a Montana Senate election ever, and Tester's campaign reported ending the first quarter with about $12.6 million in cash on hand. Sheehy brought in $2.6 million, including $500,000 that he loaned the campaign, bringing the total the former Navy SEAL has loaned his campaign to $1.45 million this cycle."
In Nevada, Roth notes, incumbent Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen "raised $5 million in the first quarter of the year, more than doubling the amount raised by GOP candidate Sam Brown."
Other Democratic Senate candidates who are raising a lot of money, according to Roth, include Rep. Ruben Gallego in Arizona and Rep. Elissa Slotkin in Michigan.
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Gallego will likely be competing with far-right MAGA Republican Kari Lake for the seat being vacated by centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a former Democrat turned independent who decided against seeking reelection.
But the fact that Democratic candidates are raising so much money doesn't necessarily mean that their party won't lose their Senate majority in November.
"Even with the advantage for Senate Democrats in terms of campaign cash," Roth observes, "the map to defend their slim 51-49 majority ultimately favors Republicans, with pick-up opportunities in red states such as Ohio and Montana as well as toss-up races in Nevada and beyond. Republicans only have to flip one or two seats to win back the majority."
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Read the Washington Examiner's full report at this link.