Fetterman raises $3.9 million in first quarter in Pennsylvania Senate race

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) raised $3.9 million in the first quarter of 2021 for his Senate campaign.

Fetterman’s campaign said it received 140,000 contributions from more than 90,000 people and that the average donation was $28. The race for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat is expected to be one of the most competitive of the 2022 cycle.

“I am overwhelmed with gratitude and deeply humbled by all of the support we have received from all 67 of Pennsylvania’s counties,” Fetterman said in a statement. “We are going all-in and are committed to building a people-powered campaign, and it means the world to us that we have received over 140,000 donations from people across the country.” 

Fetterman’s campaign said in a statement that the haul solidifies “his position as the clear Democratic frontrunner in Pennsylvania,” noting that the haul is the largest a Pennsylvania Senate candidate has ever raised in their first quarter. However, several other Democrats have thrown their hats into the ring, including state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, another high-profile contender. 

No other Democrat in the race has yet released their first-quarter fundraising figures.

The Pennsylvania Senate seat currently held by retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R) is at the top of Democrats’ target list heading into the 2022 midterms. The party views the open seat in a blue-leaning swing state as one of its best chances at padding its razor-thin majority in the upper chamber.

“This election may be the most important race in the country in 2022,” said Rebecca Katz, a senior adviser for Fetterman. “That’s why we are doing the work now to build up the broad coalition, infrastructure, and resources we will need to not only flip this U.S. Senate seat, but help Democrats across Pennsylvania win up and down the ballot in what could be a very tough year.”