The Race

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) has raised approximately $7.7 million for his re-election campaign, compared with $177,000 for Republican challenger Michael Katz. Coons has raised roughly 44 times as much as Katz, although his figures run through Oct. 14 and Katz's through Sept. 30. ​

Coons reported approximately $5.03 million in cash on hand and no debt as of Oct. 14. Katz reported $17,000 in cash and $129,000 in debt as of Sept. 30. Coons won the Sept. 15 Democratic primary against Jeff Appelhans, E. No-Trump Hansen and Mary Louve. Katz defeated John Shulli in the Republican primary.

Who's Writing the Checks?

The candidates' donor bases differ substantially. Lawyers contributed $466,000 to Coons, followed by CEOs ($298,000), consultants ($161,000), and partners ($117,000). According to the supplied donor breakdown, Katz received $3,500 from real estate professionals, $1,000 from physicians, and $500 each from bankers and business owners.

Retired or unemployed donors accounted for approximately $636,000, or 18%, of Coons' itemized individual contributions and $9,000, or 45%, of Katz's. These occupational figures have not been independently reconciled with itemized Federal Election Commission records.

The supplied campaign finance breakdown also attributes approximately 26% of Coons' receipts to other committees. That percentage must be reconciled with FEC reporting categories, which distinguish political committee contributions from transfers between authorized committees.

What to Watch

Outside groups have reported about $243,000 in independent expenditures in Delaware's Senate race through Oct. 22. About $232,000 supported Coons in the general election, and another $12,000 was reported during the primary.

Katz's Sept. 30 cash balance was less than 1% of Coons' Oct. 14 balance. Although the reporting periods differ, Coons retains a substantial financial advantage. Independent expenditures are separate from candidate-controlled funds, and fundraising totals alone do not determine election outcomes.

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