- John Ossoff, the Democrat from Georgia who is running for the removal of Republican Senator David Perdue, has become the most Senate-funded candidate in US history, the New York Times reported for the first time.
- According to data from the Federal Electoral Commission, Ossoff raised $ 106.7 million between October 15 and December 16.
- Also in Georgia, Rev. Raphael Warnock, the Democrat seeking to replace Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler, raised $ 103.3 million in the same period, according to the data.
- The second round of the Georgia election, which started with none of the candidates in any of the contests getting enough votes to win, attracted national attention because the winners determine whether Republicans retain control of the Senate.
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
Jon Ossoff, Georgia’s Democrat in trouble in the heated second round against Republican Senator David Perdue, the current Senate candidate, became the most-funded senatorial candidate of all time, the New York Times reported for the first time on Friday -market.
The news comes after the release of the latest round of fundraising data from the Federal Electoral Commission, covering the period between October 15 and December 16. During that period, Ossoff raised $ 106.7 million. Perdue raised US $ 68 million in the same period, according to FEC data.
Reverend Raphael Warnock, who is also in trouble in a heated race in Georgia’s runoff against current Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler, raised $ 103.3 million during the same period, according to the data. Loeffler raised approximately $ 64 million during the fundraising period, according to the FEC.
In both races during the general election, none of the candidates received enough votes to be declared the winner, triggering a runoff election scheduled for January 5. Georgia’s runoff races drew national attention because the race winner determines which party will control the US Senate.
If Ossoff and Warnock win both contests, the Senate majority will be split equally between Democrats and Republicans. But if Perdue or Loeffler wins, the Republican Party will continue to hold power in the Senate, creating an obstacle for the Democratic-controlled House and President-elect Joe Biden, also a Democrat.
Biden turned the state of Georgia to blue during the general election, which was one of the states that proved to be the key to his victory over President Donald Trump.
Almost half of the donations to Warnock and Ossoff were less than $ 200, The New York Times noted. Only about 30% of donations to Perdue and Loeffler were from small donors, according to the data.
Ossoff and Warnock’s fundraising during the quarter surpassed the previous record broken by Jaime Harrison, who raised $ 57 million in a single quarter in his failed campaign against South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.