U.S. Senate candidate McFadden raises $700k in Q3, $1.2m cash on hand

U.S. Senate candidate Mike McFadden says he raised $700,000 in the third quarter of this year, putting his total fundraising haul at $1.5 million since announcing in May.

McFadden’s campaign says they will report $1.2 million in cash-on-hand when they file their fundraising report next week. The Minneapolis financial executive is seeking the Republican nomination to run against incumbent DFL Sen. Al Franken next fall.

“In four months, Mike McFadden has established himself as the only Republican in this race with the right message, and resources, to compete against Al Franken,”  Brad Herold, McFadden’s campaign manager, said in a statement Thursday. “Not only is Mike well-positioned to win the Republican nomination, but he is on his way to becoming Minnesota’s next U.S. Senator.”

McFadden, a political newcomer, is currently running against five other Republicans for the nod to take on Franken. That includes state Sen. Julianne Ortman, state Rep. Jim Abeler, St. Louis County Commissioner Chris Dahlberg, bison farmer Monti Moreno and activist Phillip Parrish. McFadden is the only candidate to release fundraising numbers so far.

McFadden has made fundraising a priority since entering the race at the end of May. He was recently in Washington, D.C. to meet with Karl Rove, who started the super PAC American Crossroads.

“I am so humbled by the support my campaign has received over the past four months. We know that the campaign’s message of a better Minnesota is striking a chord with Minnesotans from every corner of the state,” McFadden said in a statement. “The outpouring of support, both financial and otherwise, proves that Minnesotans are sick of politics-as-usual and are hungry for a Senator who will do more than keep his head down.”