Big bucks raised in high profile Senate battle
(CNN) - The leading Democratic candidate in what could be one of next year's marquee Senate races is reporting a large fundraising figure.
Elizabeth Warren's campaign for Senate in Massachusetts announced Monday that they brought in $3.15 million in fundraising over the past month and a half. The former Obama administration official, consumer advocate, and Harvard Law professor is bidding to try and unseat Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, who Democrats think may be one of the most vulnerable GOP senators in next year's election.
A couple of hours after Warren's campaign announced their haul, Brown's campaign reported that they brought in $1.55 million in the third quarter of fundraising, with more than $10 million in the bank.
Warren set up an exploratory committee in mid August, allowing her to begin fundraising. She formally declared her candidacy for the Democratic Senate nomination in mid September.
In an email to supporters, Warren's campaign announced that 96% of the contributions were $100 or less, and that more than 11,000 people in Massachusetts made contributions.
Warren, whose Senate bid enjoys the strong backing of a number of leading national progressive groups, was named a special adviser by President Barack Obama to oversee the development of the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This year she was in contention for –but was not nominated as– the director of the new bureau. She left Washington in early August and returned to Massachusetts, a move that stirred rumors she would launch a bid for the Senate.
The former professor joined a crowded field of candidates bidding for their party's Senate nomination when she announced, but none of the other contenders had strong name recognition. Some national Democrats were concerned that the other candidates would be able to effectively challenge Brown, who made national headlines by beating Democratic state Attorney General Martha Coakley in a special election early last year to replace the late Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy, who'd held the seat for nearly five decades.
The campaign of Alan Khazei, another of those Democratic Senate hopefuls, announced on Friday that they raised $365,000 for the third quarter of fundraising, which ended on September 30, with three-quarters of a million dollars cash on hand.
Brown's $1.55 million in fundraising the past three months is down slightly from the nearly $2 million he brought in for the second quarter of fundraising. The campaign reports having $10.5 cash on hand.
"Scott Brown had another strong fundraising quarter and he will have the resources he needs to get out his strong pro-jobs message and run against whomever emerges as the Democratic nominee," said John Cook, Senator Brown's finance director, in a statement released by the campaign.
While the most recent polls indicate Brown remains popular in Massachusetts, the surveys also indicate Warren is competitive with the senator in hypothetical 2012 general election matchups.
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Brown has over $10 million in big corporation money in his coffers, but I am pleased to see Warren close the gap. Brown does not have much to run on, except obstruction, and that should not play well in MA.
"that 96% of the contributions were $100 or less, " that speaks allot. Martha Coakley was not serious when she ran. This one is...
He really has not done anything bad enough for Mass citizens to get up in arms about. I hope Warren wins, but she should learn from the last election, that it is not in the bag til the end. She needs to meet and talk to almost every voter in the state. That is what Brown did last time to take the seat. His winning last time had nothing to do with Washington politics, just that Martha Coakly did not campaign at all, and taken for granted her lead and where she sat in State politics.
Has obama shared his list of Wall Street contributors who are willing to buy Dems? It is a long list because those 'evil' Wall street types knows Dems are easier to buy. Check the numbers before you display infantial liberal grope think in your response.
Go warren! very glad to see someone with plain old common sense run!!
I hope Brown keeps his clothes on.
Big Business, the ultrarich and their PACs will be shoveling cash at Brown hand over fist. They are terrified of Warren for calling them out on their failed policies of deregulation and tax cuts for the ultrarich. The GOBP deathcult will not go down without a fight.
OWS!
This woman stands for POOR and Needy. Any one who has proper Brain, should vote for this lady. Very fascinating lady. If I were to vote there in Mass, I shall vote for this nice Lady. Good luck, Elizabeth....good luck...
Egads!! Right next to LOONEY LIBERAL you see THIS PICTURE!!! Please stop scaring the children CNN...
GO Elizabeth!
Regardless of a win or loss for the Senate seat, I hope to see Elizabeth Warren on the ballot for the 2016 Presidential election!
Of course I hope she unseats the shill Brown, but he's got a lot of negative ad and smear campaign funding on hand that should go a long way toward buying a lot of conservative votes.
Warren's biggest problem is overcoming the question voters will ask, "Why do we need to change Senators?" Mass. voters are not accustomed to changing Senators. Unless Brown commits some unforgiveable faux paux, I expect him to be re-elected. It'll be close, but he'll win if voters do not have a reason to change.
No one who is serious about the economy, the deficit or the debt would back Brown over Warren. Naturally, that means many Republican'ts will oppose her and point to the economy, deficit and debt as a reason.
Note: not all Republicans are Republican'ts
As Republicans go, Brown is decent enough. But Warren will have my vote, particularly since the very Wall Street guys who crashed the world economy in 2008 are eager to throw off the regulations that will prevent them from doing it again. They crashed the economy through recklessness. Then they persuaded us against our inclinations to bail them out. Then they want to wreck the government so they can go back to their old reckless ways. Down with Wall Street, I say.
Elizabeth Warren will be one of many Democrats who will be swept in on the tide of discontent generated after the 2010. elections. Buyers remorse for those teabaggers and republicans in general. GO ELIZABETH!
That's a choice between socialist representation, or sensible representation. The state will tell us by their vote, whether they are socialist, or whether they are sensible.