Out-of-state money fuels Hassan's record-setting fundraising machine
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Aug. 14—Out-of-state donors from New York to Los Angeles account for nearly 90% of the record-setting total collected so far by Sen. Maggie Hassan's reelection campaign, according to federal campaign finance records.
Hassan has outraised the five Republicans running against her by a 9-to-1 margin.
Three of those five GOP opponents got more of their own money from out of state. Senate President Chuck Morse of Salem is the outlier, with 90% of his contributions from New Hampshire donors.
With a month to go before the Sept. 13 primary, Hassan has already shattered the fundraising record for elected officials in New Hampshire.
The $26.6 million Hassan has brought in easily surpasses the $19.3 million that fellow Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen collected on the way to her reelection romp over Republican Corky Messner of Wolfeboro in 2020.
In 2016, Hassan was part of the most expensive race in state history, when she narrowly defeated Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte. Hassan and Ayotte each spent $18.5 million.
Dante Scala, professor of politics at the University of New Hampshire, said he's not surprised contributors from California and New York gave Hassan more than New Hampshire residents did, according to Opensecrets.org, managed by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.
"If you are a Democrat in California, you may not know much about Maggie Hassan, but you are politically aware enough to know if Democrats want to keep control of the Senate, they've got to win New Hampshire," Scala said.
New Hampshire is a small state that lacks the kind of campaign contributors necessary to run a Senate campaign of national significance like this one, he said.
Under federal law, campaigns must identify all donors who give $200 or more.
Opensecrets.org determined that through March, 86% of Hassan's donors were in-state residents.
The Hassan campaign said it received another $1.1 million in smaller unidentified checks from Granite Staters.
But through June 30, the campaign said, in-state checks make up only 13% of all the money Hassan raised.
"Supporters from every corner of New Hampshire — in more than 230 communities across our state — have contributed $3.4 million to help re-elect Senator Hassan, which is more than double the entire Republican field combined," said Kevin Donohoe, spokesperson for the Hassan campaign.
New Hampshire residents gave the five GOP candidates nearly $1.6 million, slightly more than half the $3 million they've raised in total.
The candidates have given their own campaigns another $2 million, led by bitcoin leader Bruce Fenton of Durham who has ponied up $1.6 million.
Political action committees representing special interest groups have given incumbent Hassan $1.9 million; the entire GOP field has gotten only $12,500 from PACs.
An unaffiliated Super PAC backing GOP candidate and former Londonderry Town Manager Kevin Smith says it will spend $450,000 supporting him.
GOP on the attack
Fortunately, for Hassan's opponents, the Republican power elite in Washington view this a "toss-up" race that could put the GOP back in charge.
To keep things close, political action committees and Super PACs tied to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have spent $25 million on attack ads targeting Hassan.
Scala said the relative strength that a GOP nominee comes out of the Sept. 13 primary with will help determine whether Hassan can be beaten.
"Whoever wins is going to have to have these GOP committees riding to the rescue," Scala said.
"If Hassan has a significant early lead and the number of races where Republicans need help go up, then the primary winner could be in a world full of hurt. Your tank is on empty and you're looking at Hassan, who's over there just refueling at the fundraising pump."
Elliot Gault, executive director for the Republican State Committee, said by Election Day voters will know who Hassan is beholden to.
"Maggie Hassan is bought and paid for by out-of-state special interests — every single vote she casts is made with Hollywood and New York City liberals in mind, not hardworking Granite Staters," Gault said.
Republicans blame Hassan
Republican National Committee spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said Hassan can't hide from her allegiance to President Joe Biden, who continues to struggle in the polls here.
"No amount of money from Silicon Valley billionaires will cover up Maggie Hassan's record of voting in lockstep with Biden's failed agenda," Mahaleris said.
"Granite Staters won't forget that she voted to raise their taxes in the middle of a recession, and she is the reason they are suffering historic inflation and sky-high gas prices."
The Hassan campaign says it has received donations from 14,543 New Hampshire residents, including both named and unidentified smaller donors.
Among her top rivals, Morse got 530 checks of more than $200 from identified New Hampshire residents, Smith received 250, and retired Brig. Gen. Don Bolduc got 270.
Smith got 62% of his money from inside the state, and 48% of Bolduc's backers live here.
Only about $14,000 of the money collected from identified donors by GOP candidate Vikram Mansharamani came from New Hampshire, but he said much of the $9,000 he received in smaller checks came from state residents.
Thus far, New Hampshire residents have given the millionaire candidate Fenton $603.
Others' out-of-state windfalls
Big out-of-state donors to Senate campaigns in New Hampshire is not a new phenomenon.
In the 2020 campaign, 78.5% of Shaheen's donors were non-New Hampshire residents.
During her one term in the Senate, Republican Ayotte's fundraising tilted 80% to 20% in favor of out-of-state contributors.
Scala said GOP attacks on Hassan on this front are worth the tradeoff for the incumbent.
"I would gladly take being able to afford having the airwaves mostly to myself, assuring New Hampshire voters that I am one of them, while these Republican candidates suffer from extremely low name recognition," Scala said.
The high stakes in this race clearly helped Hassan set the fundraising record, with months to spare.
Opensecrets.org identifies her as the No. 1 candidate in the nation in terms of money from individuals and groups working on "women's issues."
She also is second-highest in dollars from activists on the environment, LGBTQ rights and unions, and third from supporters of abortion rights and Israel.
"Does being awash in campaign cash matter to voters? I think voters are vaguely discontented with money in politics," Scala said.
However, he added, "They might grumble about it, but I don't think it's something that is going to move a lot of people from one column to another."
