Bad news for Mitch McConnell, as three vulnerable Republican incumbent senators were smashed by their Democratic challengers in third-quarter fundraising.
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Axios reported:
Q3 fundraising reports show four Republican senators were outraised by their Democratic competitors, including three that hail from key battleground states Iowa, Maine and Arizona.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) failed to hit $1 million in funding, while a Democratic challenger, Theresa Greenfield, raised $1.1 million.
Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) has been outraised in all three quarters, and her cash-on-hand trails Democratic challenger Mark Kelly by nearly $4 million.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was outpaced by over $1 million, with Democrat Sara Gideon, the speaker of the Maine House, raising $3.2 million.
The fundraising numbers point to some of the deeper problems that incumbent Republican senators are facing. Trump is taking up much of the Republican fundraising dollars for his own reelection campaign. There are already reports that House Republicans are retiring in waves because they see little chance of taking back the majority in 2020.
Trump’s unpopularity in these states is also a factor. Trump’s popularity has slumped in Iowa. Democrats are primed to flip Arizona in 2020, as Trump only carried the state by 4 points, and since his election, it has moved closer to becoming blue.
Mitch McConnell has a big problem. He has a difficult Senate map, an unpopular president, not enough money to go around, and a three-seat majority. If Democrats have a big year in 2020, Americans will fire McConnell by turning the Senate blue, as McConnell’s own leadership career to crumble thanks to Donald Trump.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
