The Front Runner for an Open Senate Seat is raising lots of money.
By: Eoin Higgins (Originally published in Blue Tent on November 2, 2021)
Donors are mobilizing in Pennsylvania and beyond for Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, hoping to propel him to the Senate seat left open by retiring incumbent Republican Pat Toomey.
Fetterman took in $2.7 million in the third quarter of this year, on pace with his second-quarter total of $2.5 million. The campaign reported that the haul came from more than 94,000 donations, including 24,000 first-time donors. That’s part of $9.3 million that Fetterman had raised so far this year through September 30, a sum that puts him well ahead of his competitors in both parties.
“I could not be more proud and thankful that quarter after quarter, our movement is continuing to grow even bigger,” Fetterman said.
Commenting on the big picture of his fundraising so far, he said: “I am blown away by the support we have across the Commonwealth, and the fact that we have donations from over 87% of Pennsylvania zip codes is amazing. On top of that, to have received well over 325,000 individual contributions from over 150,000 people is truly humbling.”
The Front Runner for an Open Seat
With Toomey’s seat wide open, Fetterman is one of a number of candidates vying to be Pennsylvania’s new junior senator. Fetterman has a comfortable lead over his Democratic opponents, at around 33% in recent polling; no other potential nominee comes close.
That’s reflected in the donor numbers, senior advisor Rebecca Katz said, calling the third quarter haul an example of the “campaign’s momentum, grassroots support, and enthusiasm.” The lieutenant governor outraised all of his Democratic opponents combined in the third quarter; next closest was Rep. Conor Lamb with $1.2 million.
“It’s become crystal clear that our supporters are uniquely engaged and deeply enthusiastic about sending John to the Senate,” Katz added.
