by Jonathan D. Salant The New Haven independent
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy has more than $11 million in campaign cash to spend in advance of the 2026 midterms, where he can start collecting IOUs for a possible presidential run in 2028.
New Federal Election Commission filings show Murphy, a Democrat, with $10.6 million in his campaign bank account as of Sept. 30, with his next Senate campaign still six years away. He also has $575,763 in his leadership political action committee.
Should he decide to run for president, Murphy could transfer all $10.6 million to his presidential campaign committee. In the interim, he could use some of that money and his American Mobilization PAC to donate to fellow Democrats or travel around the country campaigning for them.
In the last three months, for example, Murphy used his PAC to donate $5,000 apiece to six Democrats running for U.S. Senate in 2026 – including incumbent Cory Booker of New Jersey, another potential 2028 presidential candidate — and $5,000 to Rep. John Larson, a Connecticut Democrat seeking re-election next year.
That $35,000 was about the same amount he raised from July 1 to Sept. 30.
Murphy also raised another $690,369 for his re-election committee over the last three months, bringing his total to $11 million since Jan. 1. He raised a total of $15.3 million over six years for his successful 2024 campaign.
More than $7 of every $10 raised by Murphy came in amounts of $200 or less. He does not accept PAC donations.
Connecticut’s senior U.S. senator, Democrat Richard Blumenthal, has a bank account balance of $1.3 million, though he isn’t up for re-election until 2028. He has raised $586,385 so far this year.
In the U.S. House, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from New Haven who is running for re-election next year, brought in $541,048 this year. Over the last three months, she raised $202,391, including $76,500 from PACs. Almost half that amount – $37,000 — came from the health industry. DeLauro is the top Democrat on the House Appropriations subcommittee that handles health issues.
She spent $514,179 from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, including $154,182 to the House Democrats’ fundraising arm, which uses the money to help fund congressional candidates in tougher races.
DeLauro’s leadership PAC, Committee for a Democratic Future, took in $63,500 from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31, and gave $43,000 to her fellow House Democrats.
Damjan DeNoble, who is looking to challenge DeLauro for the Democratic nomination for her long-held congressional seat, has not reported raising any money.
Blumenthal’s Nutmeg PAC reported raising $133,091 during the first six months of the year. The PAC doesn’t have to report again until Jan. 31, 2026. He gave $30,000 to other Senate Democrats.