Among the most outspoken Democratic critics of President Donald Trump’s reckless and harmful agenda had been additionally this quarter’s largest fundraising winners.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, one of many nation’s most outstanding progressives, pulled in a staggering $9.6 million within the first three months of 2025, greater than doubling her earlier excessive of $4.4 million, set throughout summer time 2020.
The surge displays Ocasio-Cortez’s rising affect because the Democratic Social gathering grapples with methods to confront Trumpism whereas additionally navigating requires generational change. She’s been crisscrossing the nation with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, drawing massive crowds—even in deep-red states. In response to her marketing campaign supervisor, 64% of her first-quarter donors had been first-time contributors.
“The people are sending Democrats a message about the direction they would like to see,” Faiz Shakir, a Sanders’ adviser and a former candidate to guide the Democratic Nationwide Committee, wrote on X in response to the information.
In the meantime, Sanders, who isn’t up for reelection till 2030 and hasn’t stated whether or not he’ll run once more, raised an eye-popping $11.5 million this quarter.
Different outstanding Trump critics posted equally sturdy numbers. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, additionally not up once more till 2030, introduced in $8.0 million.
Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who’s gained nationwide consideration for grilling Republicans like Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Elon Musk, raised over $1.6 million—greater than doubling her earlier report of $863,000. It’s additionally the primary time she’s hit a seven-figure quarterly haul.
Fellow Texas Democrat Al Inexperienced, who was censured after protesting Trump’s lie-filled speech to Congress in March, raised $359,000, greater than doubling his earlier report of $167,000.
And in getting ready for a bruising struggle subsequent 12 months, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia pulled in over $11.1 million this previous quarter—a sum his marketing campaign is touting as a first-quarter report for an incumbent in a nonelection 12 months. The race within the Peach State remains to be taking form, with Republicans more and more determined to discover a candidate able to difficult the well-liked Democrat.
The message from Democratic donors is easy: Stand as much as Trump, and so they’ll have your again. A brand new Civiqs ballot for Each day Kos finds that simply 46% of registered voters approve of Trump’s job efficiency, whereas 53% disapprove. In response to the survey, voters are notably involved about his reckless tariffs driving up costs and his administration’s current high-profile blunders. So it’s no shock that among the most vocal anti-Trump Democrats are among the many largest first-quarter fundraisers.
That momentum might carry into the subsequent quarter, particularly for individuals who’ve made waves not too long ago, like Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, whose fiery ground speech got here after the first-quarter deadline.
That stated, many Republicans posted huge numbers too. Whereas Democrats outpaced GOP Home candidates total, Republican Senate candidates outraised their Democratic counterparts. The Nationwide Republican Congressional Committee reported a report $36.7 million raised within the first quarter of 2025, with $23.9 million money available because it fights to guard the Home majority.
Susceptible Home Republicans additionally carried out properly in fundraising. 4 of the seven GOP incumbents—Reps. Juan Ciscomani of Arizona, Jen Kiggans of Virginia, Mike Lawler of New York, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa—every raised over $1 million this half quarter. These lawmakers are all working in toss-up districts, as outlined by the nonpartisan election prognosticator Inside Elections.
Different high GOP fundraisers included Home Speaker Mike Johnson, who introduced in $3.2 million, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, who raised $1.2 million in a district Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris narrowly carried in 2024.
Within the Senate, some Republicans posted sturdy numbers, too. Sen. Thom Tillis, anticipated to face a troublesome race in 2026, raised $2.2 million and has over $4 million within the financial institution. Sen. Susan Collins, a frequent Trump critic who nonetheless largely votes together with her celebration, introduced in about $842,000.
However after all, Republicans have the world’s richest individual of their nook. Megabillionaire Elon Musk has personally donated to almost two dozen GOP congressional candidates, based on CNN, together with Greene and Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley.
However even with out a tech mogul bankrolling their campaigns, progressive Democrats are holding their very own—elevating huge cash and displaying the bottom is able to rally behind these prepared to struggle.
