Kelly raises nearly $9 million for reelection bid

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) saw his best fundraising stretch since winning his Senate seat in the last three months of 2021, pulling in nearly $9 million for his reelection bid. 

The latest haul brings Kelly’s fundraising total for the 2022 midterm cycle to roughly $27.5 million. His campaign finished out 2021 with more than $18.5 million in the bank, it said on Friday. 

The nearly $9 million total marks his best quarter of 2021. In October, his campaign reported raising about $8.2 million. In July, the campaign brought in about $6 million, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Kelly’s campaign said that it is so far outpacing its fundraising from the 2020 election cycle, when it raised about $100 million. 

His latest haul was driven by more than 125,000 contributors who made some 250,000 donations. The average contribution size was $34, the campaign said.

“Just as Mark has refused to slow down as he delivers for Arizonans, neither have the grassroots donors who continue to fuel this campaign,” Kelly’s campaign manager, Emma Brown, said in a statement. “Thanks to their strong support we’re moving full speed ahead into 2022, ready to re-elect Mark to the Senate.”

Kelly has repeatedly proven himself to be one of the most prolific fundraisers in the Senate — and for good reason. He’s among the most vulnerable Senate Democrats facing reelection this year. 

So far, half a dozen Republicans have jumped into the race to unseat him, including Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, businessman Jim Lamon and venture capitalist Blake Masters. 

Democrats are defending the narrowest-possible Senate majority this year. Republicans need to net only one seat in November to recapture control of the upper chamber.