The Kentucky Democratic Party got a $793,000 shot in the arm last month, thanks to the fundraising committee of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
According to Federal Election Commission filings, the Hillary Victory Fund made separate transfers of $600,000 and $193,000 to the Kentucky State Democratic Central Executive Committee in July.
Those contributions accounted for the bulk of the $913,000 the committee raised last month and made July the state party’s best single month for fundraising since November 2015, when Democrats lost the governor’s mansion.
Clinton’s victory fund also gave $83,000 to Kentucky Democrats between January and May.
$913,000 Kentucky Democratic Party’s fundraising total for July
$793,000 Amount Kentucky Democrats received from Clinton’s fund
Kentucky Democrats’ coffers have been depleted since November’s losses. Even with the Hillary Victory Fund contributions, the party had only $120,000 in cash at the end of July, while the Kentucky Republican Party had $1.6 million.
In Kentucky’s marquee race this fall, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, a Democrat, is running to oust Republican Sen. Rand Paul. In the state’s 6th congressional district, Democrat Nancy Jo Kemper is challenging Republican Rep. Andy Barr.
Democrats are also defending their majority in the state House of Representatives. Republicans control the state Senate.
Clinton opened the Hillary Victory Fund in September 2015 to raise money for Democrats, and since then it has hauled in $81 million.
Numerous A-list celebrities have headlined its fundraisers: actor George Clooney, producer Jeffrey Katzenberg and singer Carole King. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime Clinton friend, hosted a fundraiser in April.
A concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York featured Katy Perry and Elton John.
Billionaire investor George Soros and Alice Walton, the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, have also contributed to Clinton’s victory fund.
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Clinton’s Democratic rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, had created his own victory fund, but it only raised $1,000 in 2015 and nothing in 2016, according to federal filings.
$81 million Amount Hillary Victory fund has raised to date
The success of Clinton’s fundraising for Democrats has led her supporters to accuse Sanders, an independent, of doing little to help the party. Sanders supporters, meanwhile, accused Clinton of using the money to assist her primary campaign against Sanders.
Clinton’s joint fundraising committee consists of her presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties.
Clinton’s joint fundraising committee consists of her presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties.
Clinton narrowly won Kentucky’s Democratic primary in May, with Sanders outperforming her in the state’s coal-producing regions. Clinton secured the nomination last month at the party’s convention in Philadelphia, where Sanders endorsed her.
An earlier version of this story gave the incorrect city where the Democrats held their convention in July.
Curtis Tate: 202-383-6018, @tatecurtis