KY Gov. Beshear outraises and outspends Cameron in first stretch of general election
All eyes are on Gov. Andy Beshear’s re-election bid against GOP challenger Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
A lot of the state’s money is on it, too.
Beshear’s campaign dwarfs Cameron’s in total cash brought in and on hand, the 60 day pre-general election reports show.
The governor has brought in roughly $15 million into his general election campaign since the primary ended in mid-May compared to Cameron’s $2.8 million.
Cameron, who had to spend his way through a competitive and crowded 12-way GOP primary, did not have the same monetary benefits afforded to an incumbent governor. Roughly $6 million of the $15 million total reported by Beshear’s campaign had rolled over from money raised during the primary season; unlike Cameron, the incumbent governor did not face a competitive primary.
Excluding funds rolled over from the primary season, Beshear’s team brought in more than three times as much money as Cameron’s — roughly $9 million to $2.8 million.
The Cameron campaign has garnered more than 4,000 donations since mid-May, with 555 people donating the maximum $2,100 or $2,000. The vast majority, 88%, of its $2.2 million in itemized contributions came from Kentucky donors. Additionally, the Republican Party of Kentucky transferred $450,000 to the Cameron campaign.
Having spent about $1.4 million already, the Cameron campaign reported $1.4 million left in cash on hand as of Tuesday.
The Beshear campaign has spent about $10.8 million of its $15 million general election total already. Campaign officials told the Herald-Leader that they currently have $4.2 million cash on hand, a figure that takes into account the campaign having already spent $2 million on television ad placement for the month of October.
The Beshear campaign got donations from 1,345 people who gave $2,100 or $2,000. About 93% of Beshear’s more than 8,700 donations came from Kentuckians.
Another $3 million came from the Kentucky Democratic Party, with whom the Beshear campaign is running a coordinated campaign. The remaining $6 million was raised directly by the general election campaign.
Beshear received about $134,000 in political action committee (PAC) contributions during the general election, while Cameron garnered $70,000.
While the campaign coffers play a huge role in shaping the race, outside groups are spending big to bolster each candidate. Independent expenditure groups like PACs have spent about $13.76 million to support Beshear via television and mail, while such groups have spent right around $13 million to help Cameron as of Wednesday, according to Medium Buying.
In addition to their total receipts, the campaigns have each received in-kind contributions from their respective state parties. The Kentucky Democratic Party gave close to $1.1 million in in-kind funds to Beshear while the Republican Party of Kentucky contributed roughly $170,000 to Cameron’s campaign.
In a statement about the campaign’s finances, Cameron spokesperson Sean Southard emphasized that Cameron’s total amount raised this year, including during the primary, is $4.3 million. In comparison, that figure is well over $16 million for Beshear. Southard also said the Republican Party of Kentucky has raised close to $3 million “to support the entire Republican ticket.”
“Daniel Cameron is up on television and has visited more than half of Kentucky’s 120 counties since his historic primary victory. The Republican Party is running a strong, statewide field program and is in the best financial position it has been in for a governor’s race in generations,” Southard wrote.
Beshear campaign manager Eric Hyers said their report reflects a “major enthusiasm advantage” the campaign has over Cameron.
“Governor Beshear is one of the most popular governors in the country and has a track record of getting big things done for Kentucky,” Hyers said. “This fundraising report will show strong and deep support for his reelection as we head into the final weeks of the race.”
This story was originally published September 12, 2023 at 9:37 PM.
