Democratic Senate nominee Josh Turek has raised $20.2 million in Iowa's competitive open-seat race, compared with $13.5 million for Republican nominee Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) and approximately $83,000 for Libertarian Thomas Laehn, according to Federal Election Commission records through Sept. 30. Turek has raised about 243 times as much as Laehn, although Hinson remains his principal general-election opponent.
Despite Turek's fundraising lead, Hinson entered October with more cash available. Her campaign reported approximately $6.9 million on hand, compared with Turek's $3.6 million and Laehn's $9,561. Turek reported no outstanding campaign debt.
The candidates' reported donor occupations reflect different fundraising patterns. Lawyers contributed about $201,000 to Turek, followed by consultants ($89,000), CEOs ($69,000), and physicians ($38,000). Laehn's largest reported occupational groups were CEOs at $4,500, medical directors at $3,500, assistant directors of document services at $2,133, and farmers at $1,150.
Retired and not-employed contributors accounted for approximately $1.6 million, or 54%, of Turek's reported occupation-classified individual contributions, compared with $20,000, or 48%, for Laehn.
Neither candidate relies heavily on direct contributions from other political committees. FEC records show Turek received approximately $607,000 from party and other political committees, representing about 3% of his total receipts. Laehn reported no comparable committee contributions in the supplied figures.
While money doesn't decide races by itself, outside groups have already spent $18.7 million in Iowa, most of it supporting the Democrat. Still, a nominee who starts the general election with less than one percent of his opponent's cash will depend heavily on super PACs and party committees to compete on the airwaves.
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