Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, who is locked in a tight Senate race against Republican challenger Herschel Walker, has spent $81.7 million on his reelection contest this cycle, making his campaign the 8th-highest-spending candidate advertiser on record for a single office, according to AdImpact Politics.
The seven candidates ahead of him in the ad tracking company’s analysis were all vying for the White House.
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The reverend’s total expenditure has reached $176 million for the past two election cycles.Â
#GAPol: With $81.7M spent in the 2022 #GASen race, Raphael Warnock’s campaign has become the 8th highest spending candidate advertiser EVER for a singular office. The top 7 are all Presidential campaigns. Warnock’s total expenditure for the last 2 cycles now stands at $176M.
— AdImpact Politics (@AdImpact_Pol) October 31, 2022
Warnock won a special election last year against former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, part of the reliably red southern state’s transformation into a purple battleground.
This year, the winner of the high-stakes contest could determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.
Special interest money and millions in contributions from PACs have been spent on both campaigns, and nearly weekly polls show Warnock with a slight lead, though if the margins of error are factored in, both candidates are neck and neck.Â
Former President Barack Obama traveled to Georgia last week to stump for Walker and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.Â
Former President Donald Trump and other high-profile members of the Republican Party have stumped for Walker.
The Georgia football legend has been hit with a wave of negative news in recent weeks, though it doesn’t seem to have affected him that much in the polls. Two women have come forward claiming Walker, who has campaigned on a strict no-abortion platform, pressured them to have an abortion. Walker has also come under fire for being untruthful about his education and his relationship with law enforcement, as well as multiple domestic abuse allegations. He has denied the abortion allegations and painted the women as liars.
Another 2022 candidate spending heavily for the 2022 midterm election is Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. According to AdImpact Politics, Pritzker has landed in the 9th spot for all-time candidate spending. Pritzker, who is up by double digits against his Republican rival, Darren Bailey, in the gubernatorial race, spent $75.5 million, adding to the $67 million he spent in 2018.
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Emails seeking further comment from AdImpact Politics have not been returned.
