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Mark Kelly, left, smiles as he stands on stage with Blake Masters, right, prior to a televised debate in Phoenix
Mark Kelly, left, on stage with Blake Masters, during a debate in Phoenix, on Oct. 6. Ross D. Franklin / AP file

Democratic Senate hopefuls raise and spend big in latest quarter

The latests campaign finance documents show that Democratic candidates have a financial edge in competitive Senate races.

Even though Republicans in competitive Senate races have stepped up their fundraising, Democrats still have a sizable advantage when it comes to campaign cash, new filings show.

Republican candidates were outraised in all 11 Senate races that The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter rates as competitive, including in Utah, where independent Evan McMullin outraised GOP Sen. Mike Lee.

Democratic Senate candidates raised a combined $175.6 million, spent a combined $215 million and ended most recent quarter on Sept. 30 with a combined $60.9 million on hand, according to fundraising reports filed with the Federal Election Commission over the weekend.

Republicans, meanwhile, raised a combined $78.2 million, spent a combined $73.7 million and ended the quarter with $40.1 million on hand.

On average, a Democratic Senate candidate raised more than twice as much as his or GOP opponent, and ended the quarter with nearly twice as much on hand. 

While all of the Republicans in competitive races were outraised, Republicans did end the quarter with more cash on hand in Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin and Utah.  

Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., raised the most of the Democratic hopefuls with $26.4 million. Four other Democratic Senate candidates — Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Florida Rep. Val Demings, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes — also raised more than $20 million.

Pennsylvania Republican Mehmet Oz raised the most of the GOP candidates, pulling in $15.9 million, which includes a $7 million loan from Oz himself.

And Oz wasn't the only GOP candidate willing to open up his own In Colorado, construction company owner Joe O’Dea loaned his campaign $1 million. Arizona Republican Blake Masters loaned his campaign $861,000 and Ohio Republican J.D. Vance loaned his campaign $700,000.