Tennessee Dem Gloria Johnson raises $1.3M, but GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn doubles that in Senate bid

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Democratic state Rep. Gloria Johnson raised $1.3 million to kick off a 2024 U.S. Senate bid fueled by a failed Republican attempt to expel her, but GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn more than doubled that haul and has millions more in the bank to defend her seat, the two campaigns said Wednesday.

The sparring teams announced the totals ahead of an Oct. 15 quarterly reporting deadline, offering an initial glimpse at how much cash has been funneled into the race. Johnson announced her campaign early last month after starting an exploratory committee in August, which allowed her to fundraise to support efforts like traveling and polling before becoming a candidate.

Johnson’s team said it received about 25,400 donations, at about $51 apiece, for an opening fundraising quarter unmatched by a Tennessee Democrat running for Senate in at least four decades. The cash followed the national attention-grabbing efforts in April to expel lawmakers who have since been dubbed the “ Tennessee Three, ” in which Johnson was spared and two Democratic colleagues were ousted for a gun control protest on the House floor.

Blackburn, meanwhile, built up her financial advantage in a state that has solely elected GOP candidates for nearly two decades. She entered October with more than $6.5 million cash in her campaign account after raising $2.7 million between that account and her Blackburn Tennessee Victory Fund last quarter, her campaign said. Blackburn’s campaign specifically highlighted some 77,700 donations placed online last quarter at an average of $20 each — about $1.5 million of the $2.7 million raised.

Blackburn first won the Tennessee Senate seat in 2018, defeating former Gov. Phil Bredesen, who campaigned as a moderate Democrat, by almost 11 percentage points. Johnson's candidacy, should she advance to...