US Election: Democratic contenders accelerate fundraising

Democratic contenders for the U.S Senate seats majorly occupied by the Republicans, have accelerated fundraising in the second quarter of the year to enable them pull ahead in what seems a competitive race into the November elections.

In a statement on Monday 6th July 2020, Cunningham’s campaign said Cal Cunningham who is running against Thom Tillis, North Carolina Republican Senator, has $7.4 million between April and June, an amount almost a double of $4.4 million raised in the first quarter of the year.

As determined the democrats are to take over Senate seats from the republicans in the forthcoming November election, they need to put in much more efforts as they need to pick up at least three seats if the party wins the presidential election, if not they need four seats at least.

Senator Thom Tillis is yet to report his raise for the second quarter according to his campaign, but Cunningham’s raise has doubled Tilli’s in the first quarter.

The race is equally already heating up as the fundraising battle rages on between incumbent Republican Senator Steve Daniels and his challenger Steve Bullock, the Montana’s state governor.

According to Bullock’s campaign, the governor has raised $7.7 million in the second quarter, twice his first quarter raise. This has positioned him to have more cash in hand than Steve Daniels, although Deniels has yet to report his second quarter fundraise total.

Also worthy of attention is Sara Gideon’s and Susan Collins’ fundraising battle. Gideon who is competing for the Republican-occupied seat as of last week has raised over $9 million in the second quarter, while Collins has yet to disclose her total raise.

Democrats in state like Colorado, Arizona, North Carolina, Maine, and Montana have outraised their republican counterparts making the republican senators more vulnerable in the November election.

Democrats’ chance of winning the November election may not largely depend on their fundraising total, but on other factors such as voters’ perception of Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

What also seems to put Democrats in a more advantageous position is the 2020 election calendar as there are 23 Republican seats to compete for as against 12 Democratic seats.