AZ-SEN: Mark Kelly raises astronomical sum in bid to snag Senate seat from GOP

Mark Kelly has more money in his Senate election war chest than Joe Biden does running for president.

The former astronaut, gun control activist and husband of Gabrielle Giffords has established a veritable cash gusher in Arizona, raising nearly $14 million this year, including $5.6 million in the last three months alone. Combined with his compelling biography, Kelly, a Democrat running for elected office for the first time, has laid the groundwork for a serious bid to unseat GOP Sen. Martha McSally in a critical battleground for Senate control.

McSally, who was appointed to the Senate after losing the race for the state’s other seat in 2018, has posted impressive fundraising in the off year, too, outraising all but two Republican senators in the most recent fundraising period. But Kelly has nonetheless stretched his advantage, with $9.5 million in the bank as of Sept. 30, compared with $5.6 million for McSally.
Story Continued Below

"I think those numbers speak for themselves. Good grief," said Jim Pederson, a former state Democratic Party chair who ran for Senate in 2006.

“The guy is a very personable, sharp guy. And he's made a lot of friends nationwide, and I think he's tapped into that network,” Pederson said, adding that Arizonans were "wrapped up into his enthusiasm."



https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/18/mark-kelly-senate-fundraise-051296