Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) brought in $8.3 million in the third fundraising quarter — news which coincides with House Republicans boasting of record fundraising numbers as they gear up for the 2022 elections.
Politico has described Scott as a “fundraising powerhouse” as he stands as the favorite heading into his 2022 reelection. His $8.3 million haul stemmed from over 82,000 donors, according to the outlet. The only other candidate of either political party to release a number that high is Rep. Val Demings (D-FL), who is vying for Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R) Senate seat. She raised $8.4 million in the third quarter.
Over the past year, Scott has raised “nearly $20 million.”
Per Politico:
Scott, who is the only Black Republican in the Senate, had not previously been known as a major fundraiser. But over the past year Scott has waged a concerted effort to build his small-dollar fundraising operation, paying for a barrage of Facebook ads aimed at drawing in donors.
He has also begun to win over some of the party’s biggest donors, including tech titan Larry Ellison. The Oracle co-founder has contributed $10 million to the Opportunity Matters Fund, a super PAC aligned with the senator. The outfit has also received contributions from other big GOP donors, including hedge fund manager Dan Loeb, investor Bill Oberndorf and Las Vegas billionaire Steve Wynn.
Scott has risen to the spotlight in recent months, particularly after delivering the Republican response to President Biden’s first address to a joint session of Congress in April. During the response, he detailed his own road to success as a black American, telling viewers his family went “from cotton to Congress in one lifetime.”
Candidates must submit their fundraising reports to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by Friday, October 15.
The news comes on the heels of Republicans in the House boasting of record fundraising numbers. Its main fundraising committee raised $25.8 million in the third quarter alone, and $105 million this year through September.
Other key Republicans have released fundraising numbers as of late, including House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who achieved an off-year record $1.5 million in the third quarter:
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) also released his fundraising numbers for the third quarter, raising over $3.7 million.