Senate Democrats in some of the most competitive states for the 2022 midterm elections are getting a boost from out-of-state donors as potential GOP challengers line up to enter races.
Incumbent Democrats in Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire, and Nevada have gotten more than three-quarters of campaign donations from outside their states in just the first three months of 2021, according to Open Secrets.
Arizona and Georgia are expected to be two of the most competitive states next year, as freshmen Sens. Raphael Warnock and Mark Kelly each fight for a full term in the upper chamber.
WARNOCK RAISES MORE THAN $5 MILLION SINCE JANUARY, PROMPTING HEAD START TO NEXT YEAR’S SENATE RACE
From January through March, Kelly raised $4.4 million, with about 76% of donors who gave $200 or more coming from outside of Arizona, according to the nonprofit group.
Kelly, a retired astronaut married to former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, took office in December 2020 after defeating former Republican Sen. Martha McSally in the November special election. McSally was appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey to replace the late Sen. John McCain.
On Monday, Jim Lamon, the 65-year-old chairman of a solar power company and supporter of former President Donald Trump, became the first Republican to announce a campaign against Kelly. Though notable names such as Rep. Andy Biggs and Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich have been floated to be other possible contenders, the GOP primary has seen few candidates so far.
In Georgia, Warnock hauled in $4.6 million from late January through March 2021, with more than 80% of the funds coming from out-of-state donors.
Warnock, who helped secure a narrow majority for the Democrats in the Senate with his victory in Georgia’s runoff election in January, also faces few GOP challengers early in the cycle. Despite the massive fundraising haul, the $4.6 million figure is dwarfed by the nearly $150 million he raised ahead of his successful runoff earlier this year.
Last month, Kelvin King, a contractor and Trump supporter, was the first Republican to announce his bid against Warnock. Navy SEAL veteran and Atlanta-based banking executive Latham Saddler, who briefly served on the Trump administration’s National Security Council, also declared his candidacy shortly after King.
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The field of Georgia Republicans may be small because Herschel Walker, a former NFL player who is closely aligned with Trump, has signaled interest in running for the seat, potentially deterring other would-be challengers from entering.
“I’m very honored that they would consider me running for the Senate, and my family, we’re still going through this process of praying and really considering it … and people want me to decide right now, and I said, ‘Guys, I’m going to take my time because this is a very serious, serious thing,'” he told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo last month. “But I will tell you this: Herschel Walker believes in God, I believe in this country, I believe in the people, and I’m going to fight for the people of Georgia if I run, so just stay tuned. … It’s going to be exciting.”
