ai express – Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona saw a significant drop in fundraising during the most recent quarter of her reelection campaign. This marks her lowest quarterly total so far in this election cycle and comes as she faces an impending deadline in April to file for reelection.
According to a report filed by her campaign with the Federal Election Commission late Tuesday, the independent Arizona senator’s fundraising efforts fell short, raising just $595,000 in the final three months of 2023. This amount is less than one-fifth of the total raised by her main Democratic challenger, Rep. Ruben Gallego, during the same period. Meanwhile, her likely Republican opponent, Kari Lake, reported a fundraising total of $2 million.
During that same period, Sinema’s expenditures amounted to $749,000, resulting in a slight decrease in her cash-on-hand total. However, despite this, her remaining funds still remain a significant and impressive amount. It’s worth noting that a considerable portion of her fundraising haul was used for contribution refunds, accounting for over 10% of the total amount raised.
Sinema, who departed from the Democratic Party in December 2022, is still contemplating whether she will run for reelection this year. Holding an impressive campaign account of nearly $11 million, her candidacy remains the largest uncertainty on the Senate map. Should she decide to join the race, it would introduce an intriguing three-way competition.
According to a statement from her campaign spokesperson, Kyrsten is dedicated to making a significant difference in the lives of people in Arizona, rather than getting caught up in campaign politics. They emphasized that she has the necessary resources to continue delivering long-lasting results for the state.
Throughout the past few months, Senator Sinema has dedicated her efforts to negotiating a border deal, demonstrating her unwavering commitment to her work in Washington. However, it is worth noting that her fundraising efforts have experienced a steady decline over the course of this year.
In the first three months of 2023, she reached her peak with a remarkable $2.1 million in earnings. However, there was a significant decline of 22 percent in the second quarter. The situation worsened in the third quarter, with her earnings dropping to only 50 percent of what she made in the second quarter. The latest filing reveals a further decline of 30 percent in her earnings from the third quarter to the fourth quarter.
Sinema made significant efforts to raise funds, as indicated by her expenditures. She dedicated over $141,000 towards digital advertising, a common tactic to attract donors. Moreover, her campaign allocated more than $124,000 for fundraising consulting, as well as expenses related to events and travel associated with fundraising.
In the fourth quarter, she allocated a significant portion of her budget towards security-related expenses. This included a $100,000 retainer paid to Kinsaker Security Group, LLC, as well as $77,000 spent on acquiring a security vehicle.
The campaign of Senator John McCain from Arizona, however, spent a surprisingly small amount on payroll, paying just over $7,700 in total to four staffers. This indicates that Sinema has not yet begun to hire a large staff, which is typically necessary for a major Senate campaign in an election year.
In Arizona, the deadline for filing is April 8th, and if she decides to run, Sinema will need to gather around 40,000 signatures to ensure her spot on the ballot.
