The MAGA Millions: Trump-backed candidates including Kari Lake and Bernie Moreno reveal their record-breaking fundraising in swing states crucial in 2024

Senate candidates are raking in millions in fundraising for what is expected to be a hugely expensive campaign season as the race for Senate kicks into high gear.

Candidates had their fundraising deadline for the first three months of the year at midnight, and records show record fundraising numbers in battleground states, as well as whopping amounts of cash ready to be spent.

While a lot of attention is being paid to the presidential race in 2024, Republicans want to flip the Senate in November and have a pretty favorable map to do so.

Democrats currently hold a one-seat majority in the Senate, but several Democratic Senators are up for re-election in increasingly red states and states that overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump in 2020, including Montana and Ohio.

The documents show that Democrats have vastly outraised their Republican challengers, with some of those Republican candidates pouring millions of their own money into their bids.

But while big fundraising can help candidates prepare for November, hire staff and buy ads, it’s not a clear indicator of who will win.

Candidates have defeated their opponents by double digits in fundraising, but have suffered epic losses in the past.

However, fundraising can also provide a sense of who has momentum and what people are prioritizing in an election year.

Here are some of the biggest money flows in the Senate’s biggest battlegrounds for the first quarter of 2024:

Arizona

Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego will face Republican Kari Lake for Arizona’s open Senate seat after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said she would not seek re-election after just one term.

Lake, a close Trump ally who recently held a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, raised $4.1 million in the first three months of the year.

According to her campaign, 99 percent of donations were less than $200. Her campaign ended March with $2.5 million in cash.

Gallego raised $7.5 million and had more than $9.6 million cash on hand.

Arizona is one of the biggest 2024 battleground states for both the Senate and presidential elections.

The most recent The Hill/Emerson poll showed Gallego with a two-point lead in the race.

Montana

In Montana, a state that Trump won by more than 16 points in 2020, Democratic Senator Jon Tester will likely face Republican Tim Sheehy in November.

On Monday, Tester’s campaign revealed that he had raised more than $8 million in the first three months of the year, the most ever raised in the first quarter of the Montana Senate elections.

96 percent of donations to Tester were for less than $100 and the average donation was less than $50, his campaign said.

His GOP challenger Tim Sheehy brought in $3 million, including $500,000 borrowed by the candidate. He ended March with $1.9 million in his war chest.

Ohio

In one of the nation’s tightest races, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown will face Republican Bernie Moreno in an increasingly red state in November.

Republicans see Ohio as a potential path to retaking the Senate.

In the first three months of the year, Brown raised a record $12 million, indicating just how tough the race will be. He ended March with more than $15.9 million in cash.

Meanwhile, Republican Bernie Moreno faced a tough three-way primary last month. The Trump-backed businessman raised $3.8 million, including the $1.5 million he lent to his campaign. He ended March with $2 million in campaign cash.

The Real Clear Politics polling average shows Brown with a five-point lead over Moreno.

During the primaries, Democrats promoted Moreno as a candidate and viewed him as an easier candidate to beat this fall, but the race is expected to be a close one until Election Day.

Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Casey will face Republican Dave McCormick, who won and lost the 2022 Republican primary.

The Real Clear Politics average of polls shows Casey with a more than five-point lead in the race. Trump endorsed McCormick at a rally in Schnecksville, PA on Saturday.

Casey leads McCormick’s fundraising efforts. He has raised $5.6 million through April 3 and has more than $6.2 million cash on hand.

McCormick raised $5.3 million in the first three months of the year through April 3, including a $970,900 loan to his own campaign. He also has $6.2 million cash on hand.

Wisconsin

In the battleground state of Wisconsin, incumbent Democrat Tammy Baldwin raised $5.4 million in the first three months of the year. She has over $10 million in cash at her disposal.

Her opponent, Trump-backed Eric Hovde, raised $9 million in the first quarter of the year, but documents show Hovde has loaned his campaign as much as $8 million. Hovde has $5.3 million in cash on hand.

The latest The Hill/Emerson poll from mid-March shows Baldwin with a three-point lead in the race.

Nevada

Nevada Republicans will choose their Senate candidate in June and whoever wins the primary will face Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen in November in what is expected to be a close race.

Sam Brown, an Army veteran, is the current frontrunner in the Republican race and is supported by several Republicans. Nevada Assemblyman Jim Marchant is also running in the primary.

Rosen raised $5 million and had more than $13 million cash on hand.

Brown raised $2.4 million and had $2.3 million available at the end of the quarter. Marchant raised less than $50,000 and had about that amount available for his campaign.

The Real Clear Politics average of polls shows Rosen with a four-point lead over Brown. In a race against Marchant she has a lead of almost 10 points.