Walker campaign claims GOP lead in Senate fundraising, but it trails Warnock

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker collected more than $12 million in campaign contributions over the past three months. His opponent, Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, collected about $26.3 million over the same period. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker collected more than $12 million in campaign contributions over the past three months. His opponent, Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, collected about $26.3 million over the same period. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)

Republican Herschel Walker on Wednesday reported raising more than $12 million in campaign cash over the past three months, less than half of what his Democratic opponent, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, raked in for the same reporting period.

The Walker campaign said it had some $7 million in cash on hand entering the final sprint to Election Day.

The Georgia race will play a critical role in determining which party controls the U.S. Senate and is expected to be among the most expensive in the nation this year. Most polls show the contest as a statistical dead heat.

Walker, a first-time candidate and former football star, has emerged as a formidable fundraiser. His campaign said Wednesday that he had outpaced all other GOP Senate candidates in the country this cycle. But Warnock has shattered previous fundraising records. He pocketed $26.3 million for the months of July through September and has $13.7 million in the bank.

Still, the Walker campaign expressed confidence.

“We are raising more money than ever and have the resources needed to get our message out,” Walker campaign manager Scott Paradise said in a release. “Herschel Walker will win.”