ATLANTA — Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock set the latest in a string of fundraising records by collecting $17.2 million between April and June, ending the quarter with roughly $22.2 million in the bank for a race that could decide control of the Senate.
Warnock topped his last fundraising haul, which amounted to more than $13.6 million over the first three months of the year. That total was the most money ever raised by any U.S. Senate candidate in the first quarter of an election year.
The disclosure Wednesday also showed the Democrat is aggressively tapping into his coffers as a November matchup with GOP nominee Herschel Walker nears. Warnock has about $3 million less in the bank than he boasted at the end of the previous quarter.
The Democrat far outpaced Walker, who said he collected nearly $6.2 million over the three-month span and has nearly $7 million in cash on hand. In all, the Republican raised more than $20 million since he entered the race in August 2021.
Warnock's campaign said he collected contributions from a staggering number of supporters: More than 258,000 individual donors stroked checks to Warnock over the three-month period, with an average donation of $37. In all, he's raised more than $84 million for his re-election bid.
"This haul and the tens of thousands of grassroots donors lining up to support this campaign in record numbers are just the latest sign that Georgians see Reverend Warnock working on their behalf in the U.S. Senate and they are ready to help propel our campaign to victory," said Warnock campaign manager Quentin Fulks.
The fundraising figures are only the latest indication that Warnock has become one of the nation's elite fundraisers, a candidate who can tap both small donations from grassroots voters and the largesse of the party's wealthiest donors.
It also further cements an enormous Democratic fundraising edge in the state's premier contests, forcing Georgia Republicans who once dominated the race for resources to confront a new political landscape.
In the race for governor, Democrat Stacey Abrams reported last week that she collected more than $22 million over a two-month period, thanks partly to a surge of unlimited donations authorized by a new state law. Gov. Brian Kemp raised about $7 million in the same time period. Even so, the Democrat's campaign has stressed she's the underdog in an "uphill battle."
Not so for Warnock, who is leading Walker in most public polls despite a challenging political climate for Democrats fueled by high inflation, volatile energy prices and sagging public support of President Joe Biden.
Warnock, pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, honed his fundraising skills during the 2020 special election campaign that ended with his victory over incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler and Jon Ossoff's win against then-U.S. Sen. David Perdue.
Now up for a full six-year term, Warnock essentially never stopped running for office after the Democratic runoff sweeps, which were the most expensive Senate races in the nation's history.
Republicans quickly pegged him as one of the nation's most vulnerable Senate Democratic incumbents in their quest to regain control of a chamber that's split 50-50.
But after Walker coasted to an easy GOP primary victory in May, he has struggled to confront new revelations about internal campaign turmoil and recover from a string of bewildering remarks that raise new questions about his readiness to take office.
The Republican has sought to downplay the mystifying comments, including a confusing critique of "bad air" from China. And his campaign has overhauled its staff amid pressure from national Republicans to steady the ship.
Despite the setbacks, the former football star has emerged as one of the top GOP fundraisers. Like the Democrat, Walker has also aggressively appealed to out-of-state supporters, tapping 70,000 donors in all 50 states in the latest fundraising period. It was his strongest fundraising quarter yet.
"We are so thankful for every single voter, door knocker, volunteer, and donor who has worked with our campaign to defeat Raphael Warnock," Walker said. "Senator Warnock has done more for Joe Biden than Georgia — and that's why we've received donations from Americans in every state."
Warnock, meanwhile, has countered GOP attacks that blame Democrats for the economic uncertainty by focusing his campaign on proposals to suspend the federal gas tax, cap the price of insulin and curb rising prescription drug costs.
Fulks, Warnock's campaign manager, said voters "know Herschel Walker has spent his campaign misleading the people of Georgia about his record and making bizarre and false claims."
"While he keeps showing the people of Georgia he isn't ready to represent them, we'll keep working hard to show the people of Georgia that Reverend Warnock is fighting for them and they have a clear choice this November."
