Georgia senator announces record-breaking haul as GOP pushes attack ads

Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia announced early Monday that he pulled in a jaw-dropping $11 million in the first quarter of 2025, which his team says is the largest ever Q1 haul for an incumbent senator during an off year.

“I’m grateful to the hundreds of thousands of record-shattering supporters who have already joined what will be the biggest and most relentless turnout effort in Georgia history,” Ossoff said in a statement.

Ossoff’s campaign says the $11 million came from an average donation of just $32, with contributions rolling in from 156 of Georgia’s 159 counties. Nearly 260,000 individual donors chipped in, including 155,000 first-timers. 

That’s a serious flex for someone who doesn’t even have an opponent yet.

The announcement dropped just days after the Senate GOP’s top outside political operation launched a seven-figure ad blitz against Ossoff—using tired, transphobic talking points in a bid to turn voters against him.

“Man-to-man defense isn’t woke enough of Ossoff. He’s for they/them,” the ad, which aired during some of the weekend’s biggest sporting events, sneered.

But as Republicans double down on their bigotry, Ossoff is gearing up for a fight, with the $11 million haul likely just the opening salvo. For context, the 2022 Senate race in Georgia—where Democrat Raphael Warnock narrowly defeated Republican Herschel Walker—became the most expensive Senate contest of the cycle.

What’s working to Ossoff’s advantage is his proven ability to rake in massive amounts of cash during competitive election years. In 2020, Ossoff raised more than $21 million in a single quarter in his race to unseat Republican Sen. David Perdue—setting a fundraising record for Senate elections in the state.

So far, no major GOP challengers have stepped up to challenge Ossoff. While a few Republicans have made noise about running, most seem to be keeping their powder dry until Gov. Brian Kemp decides whether he will run. 

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has also hinted that she might throw her hat in the ring. But no matter who ends up jumping in, Ossoff’s monster fundraising haul is already enough to give any would-be challenger pause.

Georgia is one of just two “toss-up” Senate races Democrats will be defending in 2026. The other is Michigan, where Sen. Gary Peters is retiring. Republicans are eyeing Georgia after Trump carried the state by nearly two points in 2024, but Ossoff has already kicked off campaigning with a rally in Atlanta with Warnock in late March.

With Republicans running cringe-worthy ads more than a year before the election, though, it’s clear who’s really feeling the heat. And the GOP should be sweating. While Ossoff is raking in millions without a named opponent, Trump’s tanking the economy, largely with GOP support.

Notably, Ossoff wasn’t the only Democrat reporting impressive Q1 numbers. 

In Virginia, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger raised $6.7 million in her gubernatorial bid against Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. 

Meanwhile, in Colorado’s 8th District, Democrat Manny Rutinel—who just launched his campaign in late January—pulled in more than $1 million in what’s expected to be one of the most fiercely contested House races of the year.

If the off-year fundraising is already this fierce, Republicans might want to start investing in some umbrellas—a blue wave could be on the horizon.