Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) has raised approximately $21.5 million for New Hampshire's open U.S. Senate seat, compared with $5.33 million raised by Republican nominee John E. Sununu. Pappas has raised roughly four times as much in a race rated Lean Democratic. ​

The gap is narrower in available cash. As of Sept. 30, Pappas reported $3.28 million on hand, compared with Sununu's $2.50 million. Neither campaign reported outstanding debt. Sununu had approximately 76% as much cash as Pappas.

The candidates' reported donor occupations reflect different fundraising patterns. Lawyers contributed approximately $569,000 to Pappas, followed by CEOs at $174,000, consultants at $158,000, and company presidents at $136,000. Sununu's largest reported occupational groups were CEOs at $94,000, consultants at $87,000, company presidents at $48,000 and homemakers at $47,000.

Retired and not-employed contributors accounted for approximately $4.7 million, or 54%, of Pappas's reported itemized individual donations, compared with $602,000, or 32%, of Sununu's.

According to the supplied analysis, political committees and transfers accounted for approximately 30% of Sununu's receipts and 8% of Pappas's. Sununu's earlier FEC filings identified $479,000 in party and other committee contributions and approximately $1.3 million in authorized-committee transfers.

Outside spending has become a major factor in the contest. An FEC-derived race tracker identified approximately $46.8 million in general-election independent expenditures through Oct. 16, plus $5.6 million during the primaries. General-election spending included about $24.9 million opposing Pappas and $14.2 million opposing Sununu, along with expenditures supporting both nominees.

Although Pappas has raised substantially more campaign money, Sununu's cash balance is considerably closer. Independent expenditures by outside groups now exceed the candidates' combined fundraising, underscoring the scale of spending beyond the campaigns' direct control.

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