Democrats are outraising Republicans in 2026 — and it might not matter

It’s a record-breaking year for Democrats. State by state, Democratic Senate and House candidates are setting the fundraising pace, collecting tens of millions of dollars to deploy against Republicans.

During the first quarter of 2026, Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D) collected an unprecedented $27 million for his U.S. Senate bid, including $10 million since he won his March 3 primary. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) raised more than $14 million, while North Carolina’s former Gov. Roy Cooper (D) raked in almost the same amount.

Meanwhile, polling shows Democrats expanding their lead on Republicans in generic congressional ballots. The Left is particularly optimistic about the Iran War and inflation weighing on support for pro-Trump Republicans.

Facing some political headwinds, many Republicans are ringing alarm bells. It is conventional wisdom to put the nail in the coffin of Republican hopes to retain Senate control, as House control hangs in the balance.

Money matters immensely in campaign politics, but donor dollars are not destiny. In 2020, 2022, and 2024, Republicans proved that they could be outraised significantly and still win.

Leading up to Election Day, Kamala Harris outraised President Trump three-to-one. We all know how that turned out in the battleground states. History wrote the same story in 2016, when Hillary Clinton outraised Trump threefold.

In 2024, Bernie Moreno in Ohio and Tim Sheehy in Montana won Senate seats after raising under $30 million each. Their incumbent opponents, Jon Tester and Sherrod........

© The Hill