Republican Joni Ernst raised about $1.7 million more in the third quarter than her Democratic opponent Bruce Braley in the closely contested Iowa Senate race, the Des Moines Register reports:
Ernst, a Republican state senator, will report raising over $4.5 million in the quarter, her campaign aides told the Register on Tuesday.
That haul more than doubles her second-quarter number. A surge in money can signal that donors nationwide sense a victory and are willing to pump in money to tip a candidate over the edge.
Braley, a Democratic congressman, will report raising $2.8 million, his best quarter to date.
Tuesday was the final day of fundraising for the third quarter, which ran from July 1 to Sept. 30. A more complete fundraising picture will be available after Oct. 15, the deadline for filing campaign finance reports.
Ernst and Braley are fighting to replace Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin in one of the nation's most competitive and closely watched races.
