Democrats continue to outraise Republicans in key Senate races

Democrats face a tough map in their quest to flip the Senate this year, but their candidates – both incumbents and challengers – continue to outraise their Republican opponents in several battleground races, new federal filings show.

Both parties are also contending with competitive primaries across the country, with a handful of candidates pulling in big sums over the last three months of 2025.

Senate Republicans are defending a 53-47 majority heading into the midterm elections, which kick off next month, with March 3 primaries in Texas and North Carolina.

Here’s a look at the Senate money race in battleground states, as well as safe states hosting contested primaries, according to fourth-quarter reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Georgia

Sen. Jon Ossoff’s fundraising continues to tower over that of his competitors: The chamber’s most vulnerable Democrat reported taking in $9.9 million during the final three months of 2025 and started the year with more than $25.5 million in the bank.

None of his leading Republican opponents raised more than $1.8 million during the fourth quarter, the federal filings show. Rep. Mike Collins brought in $825,000 and began 2026 with $2.3 million in the bank. Former football coach and first-time candidate Derek Dooley hauled in $1.1 million, finishing December with $2.1 million on hand. And Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter reported raising $1.7 million, which included a $1 million loan, bringing the total personal investment to his campaign to $3 million. He finished the fourth quarter with around $4.2 million banked.

Michigan

Democrats are facing a three-way primary as they defend the seat of retiring Sen. Gary Peters. Rep. Haley Stevens led the Democratic field in fundraising during the fourth quarter, bringing in $2.1 million, followed by former state public health official Abdul El-Sayed with nearly $1.8 million and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow with $1.7 million.

Stevens had the most cash available at the start of 2026, with $3 million, while El-Sayed and McMorrow each reported just under $2 million in their coffers.

On the Republican side, former Rep. Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost a bid for the state’s other Senate seat in 2024, reported raising nearly $2 million over the three-month period and had about $3.5 million banked on Dec. 31.

North Carolina

Former Gov. Roy Cooper is another Democratic contender who had an impressive fundraising quarter. In the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, Cooper’s fourth-quarter filing showed his campaign raising more than $7 million and ending the year with $12.4 million on hand.

The leading GOP candidate, former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, reported raising $3.8 million during the fourth quarter and had $3.7 million banked at Dec. 31, his filings show.

New Hampshire

Former Sen. John E. Sununu confirmed his status as the leading Republican to succeed retiring Democrat Jeanne Shaheen by winning an endorsement from President Donald Trump on Sunday. His campaign reported raising $1.3 million in the fourth quarter and began the year with $1.1 million on hand. His primary opponent, former Massachusetts Sen. Scott P. Brown, brought in $374,000 during the quarter and ended December with more than $900,000 in the bank.

Rep. Chris Pappas, the Democratic front-runner, had another strong fundraising quarter, posting a three-month haul of $2.3 million and starting 2026 with $3.2 million banked.

Maine

Democratic candidate Graham Platner was the quarterly fundraising leader, hauling in $4.6 million in the final months of 2025. That sizable figure came despite the oyster farmer having to weather several stories about controversial past social media posts and covering up a tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol. He ended the year with $3.7 million on hand.

Gov. Janet Mills, his leading rival for the Democratic nomination, reported taking in $2.7 million for the quarter since entering the race in October and began 2026 with $1.3 million in available cash.

Both outraised incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, the chamber’s most vulnerable Republican who reported raising $2.2 million for the quarter. But Collins, who hasn’t formally announced whether she’s seeking a sixth term, dwarfed her opponents in cash on hand, with a bank balance of $8 million as of Dec. 31.

Alaska

Republican Dan Sullivan brought in nearly $1.4 million in his quest for a third term, his quarterly filings show, and ended the period with $5.8 million in the bank. His Democratic opponent, former Rep. Mary Peltola, entered the race in mid-January but said she raised $1.5 million in her first 24 hours.

Ohio

Democrat Sherrod Brown has long been a prolific fundraiser, and the last quarter of 2025 was no exception: The former senator reported raising $7.3 million in the fourth quarter for his comeback quest, compared with $1.5 million for appointed Republican incumbent Jon Husted. Brown ended December with about $9.9 million in his campaign coffers, while Husted had nearly $6 million banked.

Texas

The Texas Senate race continues to draw outsize attention – and money. Sen. John Cornyn, who faces the toughest fight of his political career as he seeks a fifth term, far surpassed his rivals for the Republican nomination in fundraising, the fourth-quarter filings show.

The senator reported a nearly $1.1 million haul through his main reelection account, and he brought in nearly $6 million through his joint fundraising efforts. Collectively, that left Cornyn with more than $15.5 million in the bank on Dec. 31. State Attorney General Ken Paxton raised $1.1 million and had about $3.7 million on hand. Rep. Wesley Hunt, who entered the race in October, raised a combined $791,000 through his principal campaign and joint fundraising accounts, closing the period with more than $1.1 million banked.

The Democratic primary features a marquee battle between two prolific fundraisers with national profiles: state Rep. James Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett. Talarico brought in $6.9 million in the fourth quarter and had $7.1 million on hand. Crockett, who entered the race on Dec. 8, reported a quarterly haul of $6.5 million, which included a $4.5 million transfer from her House committee. She began the year with $5.6 million in her Senate account.

Minnesota

With Minnesota in the national spotlight, state Democrats are facing an increasingly combative primary for the seat Democratic Sen. Tina Smith is vacating. Rep. Angie Craig outraised Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, $2.1 million to $1 million, and closed the year with nearly $3.8 million on hand, compared with around $811,000 for her opponent.

Republicans landed a prized recruit in the contest, with former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya launching a bid last month.

Iowa

Rep. Ashley Hinson, who has largely coalesced Republican support behind her bid to succeed retiring Sen. Joni Ernst, led all candidates in quarterly fundraising, hauling in $1.7 million to kick off the new year with $5.2 million in the bank.

State Sen. Zach Wahls was the top fundraiser on the Democratic side, posting receipts of $742,000 and ending the quarter with $733,000 on hand. State Rep. Joshua Turek raised $678,000 while Marine and Army veteran Nathan Sage brought in nearly $230,000.

Louisiana

Trump shook up the crowded Republican primary in the Bayou State last month with a pre-endorsement of Rep. Julia Letlow, who quickly entered the race. GOP incumbent Bill Cassidy, who drew the president’s wrath over his vote to convict him at his second impeachment trial, had another strong quarter, with around $1.1 million raised through his reelection committee and $10.1 million on hand at the start of the year.

Letlow began 2026 with $2.4 million in her House account, which she’d be able to transfer to her Senate committee. Other Republican challengers include several self-funders. State Treasurer and former Rep. John Fleming continued to make loans to his campaign and pay himself back – putting in $2 million and repaying himself $1.6 million. State Sen. Blake Miguez and St. Tammany Parish Councilwoman Kathy Seiden loaned their respective campaigns around $1 million in the fourth quarter.

Illinois

Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi continues to dominate the fundraising race for the deep-blue seat of retiring Sen. Richard J. Durbin. Krishnamoorthi reported raising $3.6 million during the fourth quarter and entered January with $15.2 million on hand.

With the March 17 primary looming, his main rivals, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Rep. Robin Kelly reported fourth-quarter hauls of $1.1 million and $213,000, respectively. Kelly ended the quarter with $1.6 million in the bank, compared with $1.1 million for Stratton.

Kentucky

Kentucky Republicans are playing host to a contested primary in the race to succeed former longtime Senate leader Mitch McConnell. Rep. Andy Barr reported raising $1.4 million during the fourth quarter and started the year with more cash than his rivals (nearly $6.5 million).

Businessman Nate Morris reported a fourth-quarter haul of just under $2 million. The bulk of it came from a $1.4 million personal loan, which followed a $3 million loan made the previous quarter. Former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron brought in $300,000 in the fourth quarter.

On the Democratic side, retired Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath, whose campaign spent more than $90 million on an unsuccessful effort to oust McConnell six years ago, raised almost $1.4 million for the quarter since launching her second Senate bid in October.

Massachusetts

In the Democratic primary for this deep-blue seat, Rep. Seth Moulton, who entered the race in October, appears to have outpaced the man he hopes to dislodge from the Senate. Moulton reported raising $2.1 million in the fourth quarter and began the year with $3.1 million on hand. Sen. Edward J. Markey’s fourth-quarter filings weren’t immediately available on the FEC site, but the senator’s campaign told The Boston Globe last month that he raised $780,000 and had $2.7 million in his war chest.

Alabama

Republicans have a competitive primary in ruby-red Alabama for the seat Sen. Tommy Tuberville is vacating to run for governor. Rep. Barry Moore, who recently won Trump’s coveted endorsement, brought in around $582,000 between October and December and ended the quarter with $842,000 on hand. State Attorney General Steven Marshall, meanwhile, raised $328,000 over the same period and had $562,000 banked at Dec. 31.