Two external organizations aligned with the veteran Senate GOP leader, Mitch McConnell, reveal a nearly $95 million fundraising achievement last year, highlighting Republicans’ pursuit to reclaim the Senate majority in the upcoming November elections.
The Senate Leadership Fund, the primary super PAC supporting Senate Republican candidates, and its affiliated non-profit advocacy group, One Nation, jointly amassed $94,789,049 in 2023, surpassing their 2021 total by approximately $400,000. Both groups assert that their combined fundraising for 2023 sets a record for an off-election year. This information was initially disclosed to FOX News on Tuesday.
“There continues to be widespread enthusiasm for our mission to retake the Senate majority. Senate Republicans’ emphasis on candidate quality and raising the resources to compete with well-funded Democrats will pay off in November,” Senate Leadership Fund President and CEO Steven Law highlighted in a statement.
Law also forecasted the impending end of “Senate Democrats’ majority.”
Closing out 2023, One Nation boasted an impressive cash reserve of nearly $61 million, while the Senate Leadership Fund concluded the year with over $35 million in its coffers.
With Democrats maintaining a narrow 51-49 majority in the chamber, inclusive of three independent senators aligning with the Democratic conference, Republicans require a net gain of either one or two seats to reclaim the majority. This outcome hinges on the party in control of the White House following this year’s presidential election.
The GOP appears to have an advantageous position in 2024 due to both the arithmetic and the electoral landscape. With Democrats defending 23 of the 34 seats in contention, three of which are in red states Trump won in 2020 (West Virginia, Montana, and Ohio), the political dynamics are in favor of Republicans.
Adding to the challenge for Democrats, an open seat in West Virginia emerged after Sen. Joe Manchin announced his decision not to seek re-election late last year. Additionally, five other Democratic-held seats in crucial swing states narrowly won by President Biden in 2020—Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—pose significant battlegrounds.
While Texas and Florida, where incumbent Senators Ted Cruz and Rick Scott seek re-election, stand as the only potentially competitive GOP-held seats this November, Senate Leadership Fund and American Crossroads have already secured a substantial ad reservation of nearly $50 million for ads in Montana, marking a significant move in this election cycle by the two groups.
