McConnell reports raising $4.6 million, keeps slight fundraising lead over McGrath
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s campaign announced Tuesday that it raised $4.6 million in the final quarter of 2019 and entered 2020 with $11.5 million on hand, giving him a slight overall fundraising lead over Democrat Amy McGrath in a campaign that has already attracted buckets of money.
“We’re starting the year with the best cash on hand position of any Senate campaign in Kentucky history and we’re confident our momentum will continue to grow over the next ten months,” said Kevin Golden, McConnell’s campaign manager.
McConnell has raised $17.8 million for his campaign thus far, less than a million more than McGrath’s $16.9 million, but has been outraised by McGrath since she entered the campaign in July. McConnell has about $2.4 million more on hand than McGrath heading into 2020.
McConnell has been a prolific fundraiser since his time as Judge-Executive in Jefferson County in the early 80s and as a senator has helped shape campaign finance laws, framing campaign donations as free speech.
So far, the McGrath campaign has touted its ability to keep up with McConnell financially. McGrath’s campaign manager crowed over McConnell’s fundraising numbers, saying it proved McGrath’s ability to keep up with McConnell financially.
“Outraising McConnell by $10 million in the last six months shows that he’s never faced an opponent like Amy McGrath,” Nickolas said.
Democrats also are relying on two political action committees to pump up their ability to keep up with McConnell and the political action committees that support him. The Ditch Mitch Fund has already raised more than $5 million according to founder Ryan Aquilina and McGrath’s favored super PAC, Fire Mitch Save America, was announced last week.
In signaling that Fire Mitch Save America was his preferred PAC, Nickolas attracted a complaint to the Federal Elections Commission by the Republican Party of Kentucky.
“Amy McGrath For Senate’s decision to stoop to the solicitation of illegal ‘soft money’ contributions for a super PAC is a telling indicator of its inability to lockup the Democrat party’s nomination,” said Mac Brown, chairman of the Republican Party of Kentucky.
The FEC has not penalized any entity for illegal campaign coordination since 2014, according to the Center for Public Integrity.
McGrath and McConnell’s buckets of cash have made them the two front runners in a Senate race that attracted 18 candidates. One of McGrath’s top opponents, Mike Broihier, has only raised $78,629 as of December 31, $22,000 of which came in a loan from the candidate. He has spent more than $92,000.
State Rep. Charles Booker, D-Louisville, who has attracted attention from Kentucky progressives, has not yet filed a report.
This story was originally published January 15, 2020 at 10:21 AM with the headline "McConnell reports raising $4.6 million, keeps slight fundraising lead over McGrath."
