By Bill Allison The Democratic fundraising organization ActBlue raised $833 million for the party’s candidates and causes in the third quarter, a record amount that will help narrow the financial advantage the GOP enjoys with big donors in what is projected to be the most expensive election in US history.

The total — which includes money raised for federal, state and local candidates as well as Democratic and progressive political and advocacy groups — surpassed the previous midterm record of $586 million in the second quarter, the organization said Friday.

Federal candidates raised $601 million in the third quarter, a 115% increase from the previous quarter and a sign that their campaigns are generating donor enthusiasm. Its biggest hauls went to California and New York, where there are competitive House races, and Texas, where the Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton may end up as the most expensive Senate race ever.

The cash infusion, fueled in part by a growing number of competitive Senate races, comes as Democratic Party committees and super political action committees that rely on deep-pocketed donors have raised far less than their Republican counterparts.

As the result of a US Supreme Court ruling in June, political parties can spend unlimited amounts in coordination with their candidates, giving Republicans a financial boost. The National Republican Senatorial Committee spent $45.9 million backing its candidates while its Democratic counterpart spent just $1 million.

State and local candidates raised $180 million in the latest quarter, with charitable and civic organizations receiving about $52 million. The online platform processed 19 million donations from more than three million contributors in the third quarter, with an average amount of $44.

“That’s small-dollar democracy at scale, and it’s building real power heading into the midterms” ActBlue Chief Executive Officer Regina Wallace-Jones said in a statement. The organization also announced that it’s raised more than $20 billion since launching in 2004. The milestone comes within five months of topping $19 billion, which it did in May.

Aggressive fundraising will be crucial to Democratic hopes in the Nov. 3 election, especially in the Senate. Republicans were thought to have an advantage because of the number of states where Democratic incumbents were both on the ballot and seen as at-risk following President Donald Trump’s 2024 election. But recent weeks have seen Democrats leading or making gains in states previously viewed as long shots, including Iowa, Kansas, Alaska, Ohio and Texas.

Democrats need to flip four Senate seats to take a majority. The party is betting that voter frustration with the cost of living can outpace the Republican Party’s financial arsenal.

The GOP, its allied House and Senate super PACs, and Trump’s political committees including the MAGA Inc. super PAC, amassed $1.1 billion by the end of June, according to their most recent filings with the Federal Election Commission.

That’s more than triple the amount the Democratic National Committee and its Senate and House committees and super PACs had through the same period. That gap has allowed the GOP to spend far more in support of its candidates, one bright spot for Republicans in a difficult election cycle.