State Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) continues to raise money at a healthy clip as she seeks the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, though she still lags behind incumbent Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn financially.
Blackburn, first elected to the seat in 2018, reported bringing in $2.5 million in the third quarter of 2023. That figure is a combination of money brought into her Marsha for Senate campaign account and an affiliated fund. Her campaign account had more than $7.4 million remaining as of the end of the year. She reported spending nearly $500,000 from the main campaign account, with additional expenditures flowing through the separate fund.
"I'm grateful to the incredible Tennesseans and conservatives whose generous contributions support our campaign to protect Tennessee and our values," Blackburn says in a release. "Each and every donation makes a difference. Together, we will keep Tennessee red and continue to protect Tennessee and protect America."
Johnson reported bringing in just north of $1 million in the fourth quarter, bringing her total raised during her campaign to more than $2.3 million. The campaign called that figure the best-ever by a Tennessee Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate over the first six months of a campaign, personal loans excluded.
Johnson reported spending nearly $800,000 during the quarter, with more than $1.4 million in cash on hand.
“Thanks to the groundswell of grassroots support over the past four months, we’ve been able to be proactive, and really hit the ground running as we enter the 2024 election cycle,” says Johnson campaign manager Cyrus Shick. “We know that we have a long road ahead of us, so the ability to be aggressive by building up a talented team and investing in strong infrastructure early is what’s going to make this race competitive.”
Johnson still must win the August Democratic primary in order to take on Blackburn in the November general election, when any Democrat will face long odds against the incumbent. Also running for the Democratic nomination are Marquita Bradshaw, Democrats' 2020 Senate nominee, and Civil Miller-Watkins of Fayette County.
Both Bradshaw and Miller-Watkins trail Johnson in fundraising. Bradshaw reported bringing in more than $10,000, with $3,200 of that coming from the candidate. Miller-Watkins reported raising nearly $5,000, with $2,000 coming from the candidate.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
