Dems' 'Monopoly' Helps GOP Hopefuls Raise Cash

As the 2010 election nears, GOP senatorial candidates are seeing a bump in campaign donations, the Washington Post reports. FEC filings show that in Florida, for instance, Charlie Crist pulled in $4.3 million in the second quarter, almost 4 times as much as his leading Democratic rival. Roy Blunt also did well in Missouri, citing the Democrats' "monopoly" as a fundraising tool. "Republican contributors are likely to be more and more concerned about the direction of the Democratic agenda,” said one observer.

“I think there is a growing energy within the GOP,” added the editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report. "But having said that, the gas tank was empty, so there's a long way to go here.” A case in point is Nevada, where Republicans hope to unseat Majority Leader Harry Reid, who has $7.3 million in the bank. His likely GOP opponent has $250,000. Still, “it's going to be a very competitive cycle,” a GOP spokesman says. "We're in far better position than we were five months ago." (More Election 2010 stories.)