Ossoff raises another $12 million as he fights for reelection in closely watched 2026 Senate race

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is boasting a major fundraising haul as he heads into 2026 and the election that will determine whether he gets six more years in office.

Sen. Jon Ossoff announce he raised $12 million in the last three months to fund his re-election campaign. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is boasting a major fundraising haul as he heads into 2026 and the election that will determine whether he gets six more years in office.

Ossoff’s camp said Wednesday that the Democratic senator’s quarterly financial disclosure, which is due to the Federal Election Commission by Oct. 15, will show he raised $12 million in the last three months and enters the final quarter of the year with $21 million on hand.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Ossoff’s report has not yet been made public on the FEC’s website, but his campaign says the $12 million came from more than 223,000 donors, 93% of whom made contributions of $100 or less.

“Republicans are already spending millions of dollars targeting Senator Ossoff yet our campaign continues to build an unstoppable grassroots coalition to win next November. We remain grateful for small-dollar donors who are powering us to victory,” Ossoff campaign manager Ellen Foster said in a statement.

Ossoff, who flipped his seat for Democrats in early 2021 after a tight runoff election, is the only Democratic senator running for re-election in a state won by Republican President Donald Trump in 2024. National Republicans have made Ossoff’s seat a top target for next year. Three high-profile GOP candidates have signed up to challenge him.

The Republican challengers

Republican Congressman Buddy Carter also touted his fundraising efforts on Wednesday, posting to social media that he raised nearly $900,000 in the previous quarter.

Carter says his campaign has raised nearly $4 million since he announced his run in May and leads the GOP field in cash on hand with $3.8 million. Carter’s previous FEC filing shows he loaned his campaign $2 million.

“We didn’t inherit anything from daddy. We‘re earning it — every dime, every vote,” Carter said on social media. “The others can keep fighting for second. We’re focused on winning for Georgia.”

The daddy line was likely a dig at his GOP opponents, Georgia Congressman Mike Collins and  former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley. Collins’ father was Mac Collins, a successful businessman and member of Congress, and Dooley, who entered the race with the endorsement of Gov. Brian Kemp, is the son of celebrated University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley.

Both Collins and Dooley have claimed multi-million dollar war chests of their own to take on Ossoff.

The FEC has not yet published any of the three Republicans’ filings as of Wednesday afternoon, but earlier this week Collins and Dooley each said they raised nearly $2 million since declaring their candidacies over the summer.

Collins’ campaign is also emphasizing the role of small donors in his fundraising, claiming an average contribution of $47.31 from more than 40,000 people.

“Ossoff will be formidable and Collins is the only candidate who’s shown he’s got the small dollar, grassroots fundraising prowess that can compete for Republicans,” said Collins spokesman Corbin Keown.

Dooley’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The fundraising gap will likely shrink once Georgia GOP voters decide on their candidate. The primary election is scheduled for May 19, and Election Day is set for Nov. 3. The race is expected to be hard-fought and expensive for both sides.

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