Fetterman raised ‘record-breaking’ $22M in latest quarter; Oz loaned himself $7M

Democrat John Fetterman has reported raising a whopping $22 million in the most recent reporting period, easily outpacing Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz, who plowed $7 million of his own fortune into the U.S. Senate race.

Campaign finance reports for the third quarter are due to be filed with the Federal Election Commission by Oct. 15, but both campaigns released preliminary totals this week.

According to a release from Fetterman’s campaign, his $22 million haul over July, August and September is the most money ever raised in a quarter by a U.S Senate candidate in Pennsylvania.

“Off the top of my head, it’s in record-breaking territory,” said G. Terry Madonna, a Pennsylvania political analyst and the Senior Fellow in Residence at Millersville University.

“It doesn’t surprise me given the stakes,” Madonna said of the money involved on both sides. “The stakes are control of the Senate for God’s sake.”

Fetterman’s quarterly total doubles the $11 million that he reported raising in the second quarter.

With his $7 million contribution to his own campaign, Oz might be the highest self-funded candidate in the country with $21 million, according to OpenSecrets.org data, which pinned his previous total at over $14 million.

Oz’s campaign statement described the personal loan as “reflecting his commitment to making sure his campaign has enough resources to get his message out.”

Overall, Oz raised $17.2 million, meaning his loan accounted for 41 percent of his quarterly total.

Madonna said Oz survived a “brutal” primary in which he endured attacks from fellow Republicans that he is still trying to overcome, particularly on moving to Pennsylvania from New Jersey to run for the seat and being a wealthy TV celebrity.

Several polls have shown the race between Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor, and Oz tightening as the Nov. 8 election draws closer and Republicans keep hammering Fetterman as soft on crime.

The Cook Political Report has shifted its rating for the race from “lean Democrat” to “toss-up” based on Oz seemingly closing the gap.

Michael Adams, Oz’s national finance director, said in a statement that Oz “will not be outworked” and the campaign’s momentum “is building every day.”

In a campaign statement, Fetterman said the “right wing continues to throw everything it has at us, and we’re not just still standing, we’re still winning.”

He then took veiled shot at Oz for contributing $7 million of his own money toward the $17.2 million he reported raising.

“We don’t have millions and millions of dollars to self-fund our campaign,” Fetterman said. “This movement is powered by all of you.”

Fetterman’s campaign noted that it received more than 595,000 donations from over 330,000 unique donors. So far, the campaign reported raising more than $48 million, with an average donation of $33.