Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff raised another $12 million over the last three months, bringing his campaign account to $21 million as he gears up for one of the nation’s most competitive midterm races.
The Democrat’s campaign said Wednesday he collected more than 233,000 donations averaging $36 between July and September, a sign that he’s continuing to tap the small-dollar grassroots network that helped power his 2021 Senate runoff upset victory.
The totals underscore a key dynamic: Ossoff may be the most vulnerable Democratic Senate incumbent on the 2026 map — he’s the only one running in a state that Donald Trump won — but he’s also among the best prepared to defend his seat.
It also comes as national Republicans continue to ramp up their attacks against him. The Senate GOP’s campaign arm has pledged to spend at least $5 million to defeat him, and the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America is kicking in another $4.5 million.
Ossoff’s $12 million haul, expected to rank among the largest in the nation this quarter, is just an early down payment on what’s expected to be a nine-figure race. Still, it’s a show of financial force that contrasts sharply with the muddled Republican field.
After deciding against a Senate bid of his own, Gov. Brian Kemp hoped Trump and other Republicans would rally behind a consensus candidate. Instead, his pick — former football coach Derek Dooley — has plunged the primary into deeper uncertainty while the president has remained on the sidelines.
With Kemp’s help, Dooley amassed roughly $1.8 million over an eight-week span since his Aug. 4 campaign launch, drawing support from some of the state GOP’s biggest donors.
Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
But U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, outraised Dooley, collecting about $1.9 million from more than 40,0000 contributions for his Senate bid over a slightly longer stretch.
A third prominent Republican, U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-St. Simons Island, has yet to file his latest report. He raised $1.1 million last quarter, but his numbers matter less — the wealthy pharmacist is partly self-funding his campaign and has already lent himself $2 million.
All three are competing for Trump’s blessing, though it’s not clear whether the first wave of reports give any of the trio a decisive edge.
Ossoff, meanwhile, has centered his campaign on opposing Trump-backed cuts to public health programs, warning that GOP policies could threaten rural hospitals and kick more Georgians off Medicaid rolls. He’s among Senate Democrats insisting that expiring federal health care subsidies be extended as part of a deal to end the ongoing government shutdown.
“Republicans are already spending millions of dollars targeting Sen. Ossoff,” said Ellen Foster, the Democrat’s campaign manager, “yet our campaign continues to build an unstoppable grassroots coalition to win next November.”
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
