Raphael Warnock has amassed a $23M war chest for Senate reelection bid

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock took in $9.8 million in campaign contributions from about 130,000 donors during the last three months of 2021. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images/TNS)

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock took in $9.8 million in campaign contributions from about 130,000 donors during the last three months of 2021. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images/TNS)

Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock raised more than $9.8 million in the last three months of 2021 and will end the quarter with roughly $23 million in cash on hand for a reelection battle that could decide control of the U.S. Senate.

Warnock’s latest fundraising report exceeded his last record-breaking haul, which amassed $9.5 million between July and September. His campaign said he collected contributions from 130,000 donors in his latest report, which spans October to December.

The Democrat disclosed his fundraising figures hours after his chief Republican rival, former football star Herschel Walker, revealed his campaign finances. Walker raised $5.4 million from 44,000 donors over the three-month span and has roughly $5 million in the bank.

“After driving another record-breaking fundraising haul, our strong network of grassroots support is fired up to send Reverend Warnock back to the Senate to fight for Georgia,” said Quentin Fulks, Warnock’s campaign manager.

With his latest report, Warnock further cements a reputation as a fundraising juggernaut who can attract small-dollar donors — his average donation is $43 — and the party’s wealthy elite.

He’s expanded the sprawling donor list he built during the 2021 special election campaign, which ended with his defeat of incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler. Now he’s seeking a full six-year term and is regarded as one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents given Georgia’s close political divide.

Warnock’s cash haul puts him far ahead of Walker, who entered the race in August with the blessing of former President Donald Trump and a surge of donations from Republicans who had previously stayed on the sidelines.

Walker’s best-known GOP competitor, Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, raised just $440,000 over the three-month span to end with about $920,000 in the bank. Two other GOP candidates have yet to report: Latham Saddler, a former Navy SEAL and onetime Trump administration official; and military veteran Kelvin King.