Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) re-election campaign broke its previous fundraising record in quarter two, bringing in a total of $12.2 million with an average donation of $35. The campaign’s massive quarter two haul leaves Leader McConnell with $16.6 million in cash-on-hand. Thus far in the cycle, Leader McConnell’s campaign has raised $37.9 million.
Leader McConnell’s Democratic challenger, Amy McGrath, did not have a record-breaking fundraising quarter. McGrath has raised a total of $47 million thus far this cycle, but spent $31 million on her primary, which should have been a slam dunk. She was challenged by Kentucky progressive Charles Booker, who gained impressive traction in the final weeks of the primary and forced McGrath to spend big in the eleventh hour. The DSCC-endorsed candidate only won the primary by 45 percent. After her forced primary spending, McGrath now has $16.2 in cash-on-hand.
I just can’t believe my eyes - McConnell wound up w/ more cash on hand than McGrath at close of Q2 - 16.6 to 16.2.
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) July 16, 2020
It cost her 31 million to win primary with 45%. THIRTY ONE MILLION.
She raised 6 & spent 9 in June.
She’s raised 47 million and spent 31 of it. #kysen
I just can’t believe my eyes - it cost Amy McGrath $31 million to win a primary with less than 50% of the vote against a guy who had basically nothing. She has less cash than McConnell now, despite all this money pouring in from California.
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) July 16, 2020
An ally and hand-picked candidate of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), McGrath is bolstered by establishment donors, as Leader McConnell’s campaign points out:
“Each quarter brings a new fundraising record for Team Mitch thanks to the tremendous grassroots support from across the Bluegrass. Chuck Schumer and the Washington Democratic establishment are pouring millions of dollars into Amy McGrath’s doomed campaign, but no amount of money can buy McGrath the support of a majority of Kentuckians,” said Kevin Golden, campaign manager of McConnell Senate committee. “It’s obvious that McGrath would abandon Kentucky to rubber-stamp Chuck Schumer’s far-left, anti-Kentucky agenda. Senator McConnell is the leader Kentuckians can count on to deliver for our Commonwealth, and that’s why Kentuckians are ready to reelect him in November.”
The GOP leader’s re-election is rated as “Likely Republican” and Sen. Schumer’s blatantly poor choice of a candidate only bolsters Leader McConnell’s campaign.