U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill has amassed more than $7.1 million in her campaign account so far for her 2018 re-election bid. That’s almost twice the amount she had on-hand at the same point in her 2012 re-election campaign.
The Missouri Democrat’s latest campaign reports, due Sunday, show that she raised just over $2.9 million during the past three months — more than twice her tally in October 2011.
Her campaign says her latest pace sets a Missouri record for a U.S. Senate candidate a year before the election.
And she may need to keep it up. Her best-known Republican rival, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, is reporting that he’s raised almost $821,000 since forming his campaign committee in early August.
Hawley is reporting $782,000 in the bank, after spending just under $40,000.
Overall, McCaskill has raised more than $11 million for her 2018 effort from more than 90,000 donors. She already spent just over $4 million.
Both campaigns provided to St. Louis Public Radio copies of the official summaries of their reports they are filing with the U.S. Senate and the Federal Election Commission.
Hawley officially announced his bid on Tuesday, and is portraying himself as a Washington outsider. In a statement, he says he’s only been actively raising money for a month.
“I’m humbled to have the support of conservatives throughout Missouri who are ready to change Washington,” Hawley said. He is expected to face several other Republicans in next year’s primary.
McCaskill is dubbing Hawley the GOP’s establishment candidate. She also is highlighting his campaign ad last year in which Hawley said he wouldn’t use the attorney general’s office as a stepping stone to a higher post.
Three other Republicans are seeking the GOP nomination, including former Libertarian president candidate Austin Petersen. Other GOP candidates may announce their bids before next year’s filing deadline.
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