Senator Jon Ossoff, a Georgia Democrat, one of this Senate cycle's strongest fundraisers, reported about $42 million cash on hand, nearly 20 times the amount reported by his opponent, Republican Mike Collins, according to recent Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings.
Despite the sizable war chest, Ossoff's campaign has continued to press supporters for donations. In a July fundraising email, the campaign urged backers to contribute "just $5 to keep us on the air," adding that his ads are in “one of the most expensive media markets in the country.”
Fundraising appeals warning of missed goals or urging small-dollar donations are common across modern campaigns, even among candidates with substantial cash reserves, as campaigns seek to maintain donor engagement and prepare for expected spending in the final months before Election Day.
The contest between Ossoff and Collins remains one of the most closely watched races of this year's midterms, as Democrats seek to defend one of the few Senate seats they hold in a state won by President Donald Trump in 2024. The University of Virginia's Center for Politics shifted Georgia's Senate race from “lean Democratic” to “likely Democratic” in its latest Crystal Ball ratings earlier this week.
Georgia has become a key battleground in recent election cycles. Trump carried the state by about 2 percentage points in 2024 after Joe Biden narrowly won it in 2020, marking the first Democratic presidential victory there since 1992. Republicans continue to hold the governor's office, while Democrats currently hold both U.S. Senate seats, highlighting the state's competitive political landscape.
Newsweek has reached out to Ossoff's and Collins’ campaigns for comment via email on Saturday.
Ossoff’s Campaign Finances
In recent elections, Georgia Senate candidates have developed a reputation as prolific fundraisers particularly as the state has become a key electoral battleground. Democrat Raphael Warnock raised more than $206 million across his 2020 special election campaign and his successful 2022 reelection bid, and this cycle, Ossoff has built one of the largest campaign war chests among Senate candidates.
According to the campaign's July 15 FEC filing, Ossoff had raised more than $81 million during the 2026 election cycle in net contributions, including roughly $14.6 million in net contributions during the second quarter. The campaign reported $42.58 million cash on hand as of June 30.
A Newsweek analysis of itemized individual contributions found that donations from California, accounting for about $7.35 million, top in-state ones, with about $6.86 million in contributions from Georgia.
Large Senate races frequently attract substantial out-of-state donations, particularly in closely watched battleground contests that draw national attention from party activists and donors.
Google advertising records show Ossoff's campaign has spent nearly $5 million on Google ads over the past year, including roughly $2 million targeting voters in Georgia. The campaign also spent roughly $500,000 in California and about $250,000 in New York, according to Google's Ad Transparency Center.
A July 2 Ossoff campaign email told supporters, “So I need your help — not just to keep this ad on the air, but to spread our message even further. Will you contribute $5 or whatever you can afford to keep our ad on the air and defeat Trump puppet, Mike Collins?"
In a June email following the Republican runoff that solidified Collins’ nomination, the Ossoff campaign said, “But as of this evening, it’s looking like we’re on pace to miss our fundraising goals for the month.”
An Ossoff campaign spokesperson told Fox News in statement regarding his campaign finances, “As the only Democratic Senator up for re-election in a state Trump won in 2024, Senator Ossoff is already facing millions of dollars of Republican spending against him, including an initial $44 million from the leading Republican Super PAC and countless more to come from Republican dark money groups empowered by a recent Supreme Court decision that allows them to open the floodgates for unlimited sums of money to prop up candidates, including scandal-ridden Mike Collins.���
Collins has lagged behind Ossoff in fundraising. His latest FEC filing shows he has raised $4.2 million this cycle in net contributions and has about $2 million in cash on hand.
While Collins trails Ossoff significantly in direct fundraising, Republicans are expected to benefit from outside spending in the race. Senate contests in battleground states often attract tens of millions of dollars from party committees, super PACs and other outside groups, particularly in the final months of a campaign.
Collins' campaign has argued that its fundraising reflects grassroots support within Georgia, while Ossoff's campaign has emphasized its ability to attract donors nationwide as evidence of broad enthusiasm for the incumbent's reelection bid.
“Fundraising reports tell you a lot about who a candidate really answers to,” Josh Siegel, campaign manager for Collins, said in a July press release. “There’s a reason Jon Ossoff’s biggest donors aren’t in Georgia. His California and New York donors know exactly what they’re funding: a senator who will push their socialist agenda in Washington. Mike Collins’ support comes from everyday Georgians because they know he will always put Georgia first.”
Georgia's Senatorial Race
Ossoff was first elected to the Senate in January 2021 after defeating Republican incumbent David Perdue in a closely watched runoff election that helped hand Democrats control of the chamber. His victory, alongside that of fellow Democrat Raphael Warnock, marked a historic shift in Georgia’s political landscape, long considered a Republican stronghold.
Collins has represented Georgia's 10th Congressional District in the U.S. House since 2023. Trump endorsed him in the primary run-off in mid-June, writing in part, in a Truth Social post, “Mike is strongly supported by the most Highly Respected MAGA Patriots in Georgia and beyond, and many Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate — He is a WARRIOR and WINNER!”
Collins has faced a series of controversies during the campaign. In July, reports drew attention to his son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II, whose social media posts included white nationalist and antisemitic content. Collins has condemned antisemitism and pointed to his record supporting Israel. In May, Collins fired a longtime adviser after a campaign account mocked the wife of a rival operative over her sexual assault allegations.
Republicans control the Senate by a 53-47 margin, and Georgia is viewed as a must-win state for Democrats if they want to reclaim a Senate majority, given the difficult map they face in the midterm. Democrats must flip four seats to win control of the chamber.
What Polls Show in Georgia's Senate Race
Recent public polling has generally shown Ossoff with a mid-to-high single-digit lead over Collins, though the size of that advantage varies across surveys.
He received support from 52 percent of respondents in the latest AARP poll, compared to Collins’ 43 percent. Five percent said they were undecided about who they would support.
The poll found wide generational gaps in the race—Ossoff led by 33 points among voters between the ages of 18 and 34, 29 points among those between the ages of 35 and 49 and 5 points among those 50 to 64. But Collins held a 24-point lead among those 65 or older, according to the poll.
Ossoff’s lead was also bolstered by independent voters, 55 percent of whom said they would vote for the Democratic incumbent compared to 35 percent saying they would cast their ballots for Collins.
The poll was conducted on behalf of AARP by Fabrizio Ward, a Republican pollster, and Impact Research, a Democratic pollster. It surveyed 1,060 likely voters across Georgia from July 13-16, 2026 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
A recent Wick survey showed Ossoff leading by 4 points with 46.7 percent to Collins’ 42.9 percent. It surveyed 1,175 likely voters from June 27-30, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
A poll for Fox News put Ossoff's support at 56 percent compared to Collins’ 43 percent—a 13-point margin in the competitive race. It was conducted by Beacon Research and Shaw & Company Research among 1,002 registered voters from June 23 to 27.
Ossoff is favored in prediction markets, holding a 90 percent chance of victory on both Kalshi and Polymarket as of Saturday.
With just over three months until Election Day, the race is entering a period when campaign spending typically accelerates. Candidates and outside groups are expected to invest heavily in television, digital and mail advertising during the final stretch as they compete to persuade undecided voters and turn out supporters.
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Steve Mollman and Anthony Murray.