Flush with cash and considered a shoo-in to win a fifth term in November, Washington state Sen. Patty Murray has decided to give some of her money away.
She has donated $1 million of her campaign funds to other Democratic candidates who are trying to win Senate races around the country. Murray transferred the money to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a group that she headed twice in recent years.
The donation was announced at a private Democratic Party lunch on Tuesday.
$11.8 millionThe amount raised by Democratic Sen. Patty Murray
$311,000The amount raised by Chris Vance, Murray’s Republican opponent
On Wednesday, Murray’s spokesman, Eli Zupnick, said that Murray is “committed to helping Democrats win back the majority and believes that a Democratic Senate is critical for Washington state priorities and an economy that works for all families, not just the wealthiest few.”
Murray currently ranks No. 4 in leadership among Senate Democrats and will move up next year if she’s re-elected. The current Democratic leader, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada is retiring and will be replaced by Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York. Murray is expected to get either the No. 2 or No. 3 slot, though she has yet to disclose which post she’ll seek.
In the latest campaign reports, filed in July, Murray reported raising $11.8 million, with more than $7 million in cash on hand.
Her opponent, Chris Vance, the former GOP party chairman in Washington state, had raised nearly $311,000, with $26,500 in cash on hand.
Republicans currently hold a 54-46 advantage in the Senate and are favored to retain control next year. That’s according to the Washington Post, which released its debut ratings of 34 Senate races on Tuesday.
Rob Hotakainen: 202-383-6154, @HotakainenRob