Missouri Senate challenger ends 2015 with $2.1 million on hand

Jason Kander, the Democratic candidate for Senate in Missouri, raised more than $870,000 in the fourth fundraising quarter of 2015. 

The Missouri secretary of state’s latest haul brings his 2015 fundraising total to $3.2 million. Kander has almost $2.1 million cash on hand. 

Kander spokesman Chris Hayden said in a release: “Jason’s message of putting Missouri first is clearly resonating with Missouri families that are tired of being shoved aside by the Washington special interests who have controlled Senator Blunt for too long.”

{mosads}Kander is challenging Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) in the Republican-leaning race. But Kander has received early support from high-profile Missouri lawmakers. 

At the end of the third fundraising quarter in 2015, Blunt raised about $3.6 million last year and had more than $4.3 million cash on hand, according to the Federal Election Commission. 

Senate Democrats and Republicans are in a heated battle over the majority this cycle. Democrats will need to net five Senate seats in 2016 to regain majority in the upper chamber. Democrats are considered to have an advantage, having to defend only 10 seats while the GOP is defending 24.