Democratic Senate candidates in the 10 races most likely to decide control of the chamber have raised nearly $565 million for their campaigns, nearly four times the roughly $149 million raised by their Republican opponents, according to a Washington Inquisitor review of Federal Election Commission filings.
The gap is one of the starkest of any recent cycle and helps explain why Republican-aligned super PACs have carried so much of the load on the airwaves. But the candidates’ cash on hand tells a closer story: In several races, Republicans entered the final stretch with comparable or larger reserves.
The biggest war chests
Texas Democrat James Talarico leads all candidates, having raised $146.4 million to Republican Ken Paxton’s $22.3 million through Oct. 14. Talarico had $9.9 million on hand to Paxton’s $4.8 million.
Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, the only Democratic incumbent among the 10 races, has raised $115.9 million and reported $15.1 million in the bank, the most of any candidate. His Republican challenger, Rep. Mike Collins, has raised $10.7 million and had $1.1 million on hand.
In Ohio, former Sen. Sherrod Brown has raised $68.4 million to Sen. Jon Husted’s $19.9 million, but Husted reported $4.24 million on hand as of Oct. 22, close to Brown’s $4.45 million as of Oct. 14.
| State | Democrat (receipts / cash) | Republican (receipts / cash) |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | Talarico $146.35M / $9.92M | Paxton $22.33M / $4.78M |
| Georgia | Ossoff $115.90M / $15.13M | M. Collins $10.68M / $1.10M |
| Ohio | Brown $68.41M / $4.45M | Husted $19.89M / $4.24M |
| Michigan | El-Sayed $53.83M / $2.73M | Rogers $23.02M / $3.90M |
| North Carolina | Cooper $49.59M / $9.09M | Whatley $13.67M / $0.90M |
| Alaska | Peltola $36.89M / $4.10M | Sullivan $11.51M / $2.84M |
| Maine | T. Jackson $26.87M / $1.60M | S. Collins $22.47M / $2.69M |
| Iowa | Turek $24.29M / $3.07M | Hinson $14.15M / $2.17M |
| New Hampshire | Pappas $23.70M / $1.98M | Sununu $5.68M / $1.71M |
| Kansas | Hamilton $19.18M / $2.87M | Marshall $5.35M / $0.81M |
Where Republicans hold the edge
Two Republicans had more cash on hand than their opponents in their latest reports. In Michigan, former Rep. Mike Rogers reported $3.9 million to Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s $2.7 million, even though El-Sayed has raised more than twice as much. In Maine, Sen. Susan Collins had $2.7 million to Democrat Troy Jackson’s $1.6 million.
Republican strategists argue that the candidate totals overstate Democratic strength, because much of that money comes from out-of-state small-dollar donors and has already been spent, while Republican allies have made up the difference through super PACs. Outside groups backing Republicans have outspent Democratic-aligned groups by about $984 million to $563 million in the same 10 races, an Inquisitor analysis found.
Lopsided races to watch
The widest gaps in cash on hand are in North Carolina, where former Gov. Roy Cooper reported $9.1 million to Republican Michael Whatley’s $0.9 million, and in Kansas, where Democrat Adam Hamilton had $2.9 million to Sen. Roger Marshall’s $0.8 million.
New Hampshire’s open-seat race is closer than the receipts suggest. Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas has raised four times as much as former Sen. John E. Sununu, but the two reported similar cash reserves.
About the data
Figures come from the FEC’s candidate summary file for the 2026 cycle and reflect each principal campaign committee’s total receipts and ending cash on hand in its most recent report. They do not include joint fundraising transfers still pending, party spending or outside groups. Pre-general reports covering activity through Oct. 14 were due Oct. 22, and candidates must file 48-hour notices of large contributions until Election Day.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee were asked to comment.
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