July 16, 2026, 7:11 a.m.
Democratic Senate candidates led the money race over the last three months across the battlefield as Republican committees stockpiled cash, according to quarterly campaign finance reports filed on Wednesday.
Democrats outpaced their GOP opponents in each of Hotline’s 10 Senate seats most likely to flip between April and June, but Republicans had more cash on hand in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, and Michigan. Democratic contenders are still outraising Republicans on average by 4 to 1 across the battleground states, including Democratic-held and GOP-controlled seats.
The top five second-quarter fundraisers were, once again, Democrats. Texas state Rep. James Talarico topped the field for the second quarter in a row with a $28.3 million haul, far exceeding GOP state Attorney General Ken Paxton’s $2.2 million. Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia followed with $20 million, ballooning his campaign coffers to a whopping $42.6 million. Former Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio amassed $14.1 million during the quarter while Republican Sen. Jon Husted raised $4.1 million.
Seven Republican senators, including Husted, were outraised over the three-month period by challengers. In Alaska, former Rep. Mary Peltola outraised Sen. Dan Sullivan, $6.9 million to $2 million. In Florida, retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman outpaced Sen. Ashley Moody, $6.4 million to $2.4 million. In Kansas, pastor Adam Hamilton outraised Sen. Roger Marshall, $3.7 million to $611,000. In Mississippi, District Attorney Scott Colom outpaced Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, $766,000 to $431,000.
Vacant tickets in Maine and South Carolina could put pressure on replacement nominees to raise money fast. In Maine, oyster farmer Graham Platner outraised GOP Sen. Susan Collins, $9.1 million to $5.7 million, during the quarter before he withdrew from the race this month amid sexual-assault allegations. The Maine Democratic Party is set to choose its replacement nominee at a July 25 nominating convention, forcing the eventual Democratic nominee to compete with Collins’ $11 million war chest and her eight-figure outside support.
Before the death of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina this week, pediatrician Annie Andrews had outpaced him, $4.3 million to $838,000, during the period. Republicans will hold a special primary on Aug. 11 to replace Graham on the Senate ticket, forcing the nominee to face Andrews’ $4.1 million on hand.
The only Democratic incumbent to be outraised last quarter was Sen. Ed Markey in Massachusetts, who faces a spirited primary challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton. Moulton outpaced Markey, $1.4 million to $1 million, for the third quarter in a row.
Senate Republicans believe their midterm fate lies in their committees’ larger war chests, even as Democratic groups catch up in fundraising. The GOP-aligned Senate Leadership Fund said the super PAC and its nonprofit affiliate One Nation raised $140 million during the quarter, with SLF touting a nearly $239 million war chest. The Democratic-aligned Senate Majority PAC said its super PAC and Majority Forward, its nonprofit arm, raised $147 million during the same period, but SMP entered July with $126 million on hand.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee narrowly outraised the National Republican Senatorial Committee, $9.7 million to $8.8 million, according to the most recent monthly filings from May. Yet the NRSC entered June with $48.9 million on hand, substantially more than the DSCC’s $38.9 million on hand. The GOP campaign arm’s cash advantage could be decisive after the Supreme Court struck down coordinated party-committee expenditure limits last month.
Below is a rundown of the cash dash in the most competitive races, plus Hotline’s searchable database of campaign fundraising.
Hotline's 10 Races Most Likely to Flip
North Carolina: Open (R)
Former Gov. Roy Cooper (D): $8.2 million
Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley: $2.9 million
Michigan: Open (D)
2018 governor candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D): $4.6 million
2024 nominee Mike Rogers (R): $2.9 million
Rep. Haley Stevens (D-11): $2.1 million
Ohio: Sen. Jon Husted (R)
Former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D): $14.1 million
Husted: $4.1 million
Alaska: Sen. Dan Sullivan (R)
Former Rep. Mary Peltola (D): $6.9 million
Sullivan: $2 million
Maine: Sen. Susan Collins (R)
Oyster farmer Graham Platner (D): $9.1 million (withdrew on July 10)
Collins: $5.7 million
Several Democratic candidates who lost the primary have declared for the special nominating convention later this month. Here are their second-quarter hauls.
Former congressional staffer Jordan Wood (D): $911,000, including a $150,000 candidate loan and a $6,000 candidate contribution
Social worker Paige Loud (D): $41,000, including a $22,000 candidate contribution
2024 nominee David Costello (D): $11,000
Georgia: Sen. Jon Ossoff (D)
Ossoff: $20 million
Rep. Mike Collins (R-10): $2.2 million
New Hampshire: Open (D)
Rep. Chris Pappas (D-02): $3.5 million
Former Sen. John E. Sununu (R): $1.2 million
Former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.): $279,000
Science writer Karishma Manzur (D): $92,000, including a $25,000 candidate loan
Iowa: Open (R)
State Rep. Josh Turek (D): $3.5 million
Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-02): $3 million
Texas: Open (R)
State Rep. James Talarico (D): $28.3 million
State Attorney General Ken Paxton (R): $2.2 million
Minnesota: Open (D)
Rep. Angie Craig (D-02): $2.6 million
Former sportscaster Michele Tafoya (R): $2.6 million, including a $3,000 candidate contribution
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D): $1.4 million, including a $4,000 candidate contribution
Former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze (R): $290,000
2022 Minn.-03 nominee Tom Weiler (R): $114,000, including a $112,000 candidate loan
2024 nominee Royce White (R): $84,000
