Tammy Baldwin U.S. Senate campaign reports raising $5.4 million in first quarter

MADISON – Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin raised more than $5.4 million in the first quarter of 2024, her campaign told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Baldwin had just over $8 million in cash in her campaign account at the beginning of the year. A spokesman declined to share how much cash the campaign currently has on hand. That total, along with additional details, will be available with the campaign's finance report, which is due to the Federal Elections Commission today.

"It’s an honor to have the support of so many workers and families across Wisconsin," Baldwin said in a statement. "On stop after stop of my Dairyland Tour, I heard from Wisconsinites who want a job that pays the bills, health care and prescription drugs they can afford, and to be able to go to sleep at night knowing their freedoms are protected. I’m proud to have their backs and thrilled to see so much momentum in our campaign."

According to the campaign, Baldwin received contributions from more than 18,000 Wisconsinites, with an average online donation of $29.67. Contributions came from every county in the state, with teachers and health care workers being the most prominently represented professions.

Baldwin faces a challenge from Republican businessman Eric Hovde, who said earlier this month his campaign had raised more than $1 million since officially launching in late February. The campaign did not immediately provide its latest numbers.

That figure pushed Hovde past the minimum fundraising threshold a Senate candidate needs to secure the endorsement of the Republican Party of Wisconsin at its state convention next month.

A Hovde spokesman did not say how much the banking and real estate mogul had raised but said Hovde “met all the qualifications” to secure the state party’s endorsement, and said the total did not include Hovde's own contributions. The party requires Senate candidates to secure at least $1 million from a minimum of 1,000 donors by March 31 to receive its endorsement.

That endorsement benchmark is up from the $100,000 threshold set for gubernatorial candidates in 2022 — an adjustment specifically made for a matchup with Baldwin.

"We want to have a winning candidate that can demonstrate the ability to defeat Tammy Baldwin," Wisconsin GOP spokesman Matt Fisher said.

Jessie Opoien can be reached at jessie.opoien@jrn.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tammy Baldwin campaign reports raising $5.4 million in first quarter