U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is reporting a $14 million fundraising quarter as he heads into the election year that will determine whether he keeps his Georgia Senate seat — but three well-funded Republican challengers are building competitive war chests ahead of their May 19 primary.
Ossoff’s campaign said the $14 million came from more than 223,000 donors, with 93 percent contributing $100 or less. He enters the final quarter of the year with $21 million cash on hand. As of Wednesday afternoon, his quarterly report had not yet been made public on the FEC’s website.
“Republicans are already spending millions of dollars targeting Senator Ossoff yet our campaign continues to build an unstoppable grassroots coalition to win next November,” said Ossoff campaign manager Ellen Foster.
Ossoff, who flipped his seat in a tight January 2021 runoff, is the only Democratic senator running for reelection in a state won by President Donald Trump in 2024. National Republicans have made his seat a top target.
On the Republican side, Congressman Buddy Carter reported raising nearly $900,000 in the most recent quarter and said his campaign has raised nearly $4 million since announcing his run in May. Carter leads the GOP field in cash on hand with $3.8 million, though FEC filings show he loaned his campaign $2 million of that total.
“We didn’t inherit anything from daddy. We’re earning it — every dime, every vote,” Carter posted on social media, in an apparent reference to his GOP opponents.
Georgia Congressman Mike Collins and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley each reported raising nearly $2 million since entering the race. Collins’ campaign emphasized its grassroots support, citing an average contribution of $47.31 from more than 40,000 donors.
“Ossoff will be formidable and Collins is the only candidate who’s shown he’s got the small dollar, grassroots fundraising prowess that can compete for Republicans,” said Collins spokesman Corbin Keown.
Dooley entered the race with the endorsement of Gov. Brian Kemp. His campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
The fundraising gap between Ossoff and the Republican field is expected to narrow once Georgia GOP voters select their nominee on May 19.
