Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) just wrapped up a fundraising stretch that looks, frankly, more like a presidential campaign than a midterm pause. In the last three months, his team reported pulling in $13 million, leaving his account with $22.3 million cash on hand as the first quarter of 2026 ended.
Cash on hand grows while he’s not up for reelection
There’s also the practical reality that campaigns rarely get this kind of money without people feeling like the stakes are immediate.
Even supporters who swear they donate “whenever they can” suddenly seem to find the time.
One afternoon, a file room printer near my desk kept spitting paper—hot plastic smell and all—while I was checking background notes.
Not related to politics, obviously.
But it did capture that tense, caffeinated feeling you get around election cycles, where everything is moving and you can’t quite tell what will stick.
Misryoum editorial desk noted Kelly isn’t the only one to benefit. Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), who was also featured in the video, raised $928,000 since the beginning of the year. That number matters even if this year he’s not a top GOP target—at least, not in the way the spotlight tends to land.
Fundraising spillover, including leadership PAC and DNC
His campaign is framing the money as something more distributed than personal.
Misryoum newsroom reported Kelly is using fundraising prowess to spread resources to other Democrats facing tough races this year—potentially turning himself into a helpful ally if he does end up running.
In 2026, he raised an additional $470,000 for his leadership PAC and $1.1 million for the DNC.
In the first quarter, his campaign and leadership PAC transferred $105,000 to the DSCC and made direct contributions to six candidates, including James Talarico, Julianna Stratton and Mary Peltola.
Kelly’s campaign also said 98 percent of his donations to his campaign were under $100, which is the kind of detail campaigns love because it implies broad-based support rather than a handful of big checks.
Kelly spokesperson Jacob Peters told Misryoum that “Mark knows that flipping Congress in November is how we hold Trump accountable and that’s why he is campaigning in battleground states and supporting candidates with the resources to help them win tough elections.” That line, basically, ties the fundraising to a near-term mission, even if the longer-term shadow—2028—is still there.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post said that this was Rep. Crow’s largest fundraising quarter.
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