Fetterman breaks fundraising record in latest quarter

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman pulled in $22 million for his Senate bid over the last three months, doubling what he raised in the previous fundraising period.

The haul — which came from 330,000 different donors, according to Fetterman’s campaign — marks the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee’s best fundraising quarter to date and brings his total cash haul to more than $48 million.

Fetterman’s campaign said that the $22 million total is the most raised in a single quarter by a Senate candidate in Pennsylvania. His campaign manager Brendan McPhillips also took a swipe at Fetterman’s Republican rival, celebrity physician Mehmet Oz, who has poured millions of dollars of his personal fortune into his Senate bid.

“We’re going up against an ultra-millionaire who has poured millions of dollars of his own money into this campaign, and who has the backing of the special interest groups that are terrified of John,” McPhillips said in a statement. “The people of Pennsylvania have John’s back and that’s something even Dr. Oz’s millions could never buy.”

The massive fundraising haul could help guarantee Fetterman the funds to counter an onslaught of Republican attacks at a critical point in the race. Once seen as the favorite to win the Senate seat, recent polls have shown the race tightening substantially.

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, shifted the race into its toss-up column this week after previously rating it as “Lean Democrat.”

Despite early stumbles by Oz, the Trump-backed celebrity physician has refocused his campaign in recent weeks, relentlessly casting Fetterman as a far-left radical and raising questions about his health and fitness to serve in public office.

The two men are set to meet on the debate stage on Oct. 25.