All But 2 Senators Up For Re-Election Have More Campaign Cash Than Trump

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump listens to introductory remarks before speaking in New York's Trump Tower building, Monday, April 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
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How paltry is the Trump campaign’s $1.3 million in cash on hand?

Of the 28 U.S. senators running for re-election, just two of them had less cash on hand than Trump. Neither of those lawmakers, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), are facing robust challenges for re-election.

While the costs of Senate campaigns vary widely among states, with big states like California demanding tens of millions of dollars to mount a viable campaign, the size of viable presidential campaigns usually dwarf even the most substantial Senate campaign.

But in most of the 2016 Senate races, at least one candidate has more cash on hand than Trump, particularly those with incumbent senators or in purple states, according to the campaigns’ latest filings.

Several lawmakers have several million dollars in the bank. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has more than $26 million in cash on hand, Sen. John Thune (R-ND) close to $12 million, and Sen. Pat Toomey more than $9 million.

Of the 28 major challengers to incumbent senators, six have more cash on hand than Trump, all of which are competing in hotly contested races. For example, Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) has just over $4 million in cash on hand in her race challenging Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL). And former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) has more than $6 million in cash on hand in his bid to win back his seat from Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI).

In the six races without an incumbent senator, four of them have at least one candidate with more cash-on-hand than Trump. In the California, Florida, and Nevada senate races, two candidates each have more money in the bank than Trump.

Due to states’ differing filing deadlines, the latest information available for each Senate race varies. The latest reports available range from the end of March to the present.

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