9 Democratic Senate challengers break state — and national — fundraising records

Maine's Democratic Senate candidate just set a fundraising record in her race to unseat a Republican — and she's not the only one.

Sara Gideon brought in $39.4 million in the third fundraising quarter of 2020, more than quadrupling Sen. Susan Collins' (R-Maine) haul from July to September. It's a record amount raised by a Senate candidate over a single quarter in Maine, and would've been a national single-quarter record if another Democratic challenger didn't already break it.

Before this year, Beto O'Rourke held a single-quarter record $38 million raised in his 2018 Senate race against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Jaime Harrison dwarfed that, announcing last week he had raised $57 million in Q3 as he tries to beat Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). Mark Kelly, the Democrat running against Sen. Martha McSally (D-Ariz.), also surpassed the old record with $39 million raised. Amy McGrath, a retired Marine fighter pilot, meanwhile shattered her state record in Q3, bringing in $36.9 million to unseat Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

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Iowa Democrat Theresa Greenfield also set a state record with $28.7 million to fight off Sen. Joni Ernst. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) raised a record $26.8 million to double Sen. Steve Daines' Q3 haul. Cal Cunningham nearly quadrupled his fundraising from the quarter before to bring in $28.3 million in Q3 as he runs against Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). Georgia's Jon Ossof raised a state record $21.3 million to replace Sen. David Perdue. And former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper brought in $22.6 million as he fights Sen. Cory Gardner — nearly five times what he raised the previous quarter.

The Cook Political Report has deemed Iowa, Maine, Montana, North Carolina, and South Carolina's Senate races toss-ups, as well as both Senate races in Georgia. Hickenlooper and Kelly are favored to win in Colorado and Arizona. McConnell's seat is meanwhile still likely to stay in his hands.