Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid recently laughed out loud at the thought of Scott Brown winning a Senate seat again, but the former Massachusetts Republican seeking a New Hampshire seat is raking in considerable dollars.
Brown raised $2 million between April and June for his campaign where he’s challenging Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen; the period is the candidate’s first full quarter as a Senate candidate in New Hampshire, the Washington Post reported.
It’s far less than Brown raised during his last race, a moneyed battled against progressive Democrat Elizabeth Warren, who eventually defeated him in both fundraising prowess and votes. In that race, Brown’s fundraising reports ranged from $3.4 million in the first quarter of 2012 to his own personal record, $7.45 million in the third quarter.
Still, the candidate’s New Hampshire haul is a considerable amount for an underdog candidate. Shaheen is polling 10 points ahead of Brown amongst likely voters and has enjoyed strong approval ratings during her first term.
Shaheen hasn’t announced her second-quarter fundraising numbers, and didn’t respond to an msnbc inquiry for them, but she reported a strong period during the first quarter of the year, finishing the first three months of the year with more than $4 million in the bank.
But with former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney joining Brown in Stratham, New Hampshire on Wednesday to officially endorse him, Brown’s coffers may see the benefit of a high-profile endorsement. “I think it will certainly inspire folks to raise money — and give money — to Brown. It will help loosen those purse strings,” Romney’s former New Hampshire campaign director told the Boston Herald. “The network remains until the next presidential primary season comes along and folks go off in various directions for various candidates. This is someone who is seen not only in New Hampshire, but nationally, as a revered Republican statesman, someone who unites the party.” Brown’s team did not immediately respond to an msnbc request to discuss the fundraising numbers.
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