by Jonathan D. Salant
Washington — When he ran for re-election last fall, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy raised more than $15 million. He’s already raised more than two-thirds of that amount for his next race, which is five years away.
The Connecticut Democrat reported bringing in $10.3 million for the six-month period beginning Jan. 1. He raised $15.3 million for the six-year period from Jan. 1, 2017, through Dec. 31, 2024.
He also raised $955,261 for a new leadership political action committee that he formed this year, including $450,000 from a Murphy fundraising committee, which overall took in $1 million, about 80 percent in contributions of $200 or less.
The deluge of dollars follows Murphy’s high-profile opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies. He’s a frequent figure on television and a frequent speaker on the Senate floor while garnering the attention that has raised speculation he will run for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
“It’s two things: It’s having the resources right now to stand up to the Trump administration and then he might be considering a run in 2028 for president,” said Trish Crouse, professor of political science and public administration at the University of New Haven.
“If he’s able to raise that kind of money in a brief period of time, you have to respect his fundraising skills, and then the Republican Party should be nervous about that.”
Murphy can use his entire campaign war chest for a presidential run if he decides to seek the White House in 2028. Meanwhile, he can use his leadership PAC contributions to fund travel, make campaign donations to fellow Democrats and support efforts opposed to Trump.
“He really has become the voice of Democratic opposition to the Trump administration,” Crouse said. “He’s trying to raise money so that he can have funding to fight back against Trump. Chris Murphy is really one of the few who have been very vocal and very public. He’s sort of that counter voice.”
In a memo to supporters, Murphy said he was more concerned about Congressional actions in 2025 and the midterms in 2026, when he won’t be on the ballot.
“When Trump took office, I never expected to be one of the leading voices in the opposition to him,” he wrote. “My actions were not some self-serving strategic calculation. I simply thought that Democrats like myself had to step up and do everything within our power to stop the corruption and billionaire takeover of government.”
If Murphy is going to consider a presidential campaign, now is the time for him to start fattening up his campaign offers, Crouse said.
The leadership PAC received $450,000 from a Murphy joint fundraising committee, which overall took in $1 million. That committee spent $200,000 on online fundraising solicitations, helping to build that base of small-dollar donations. Those are donors he can go back to time and time again, asking for additional contributions.
The PAC had $721,205 unspent as of June 30 after contributing $100,000 to an advocacy group, the Committee to Protect Health Care, which is led by doctors and supports abortion rights and expanded health coverage; and $50,000 to a committee to mobilize young voters in Pennsylvania, the most populous swing state.
“The most important thing we can do right now is to support grassroots mobilizing and organizing efforts across the country,” Murphy said in the memo.
The PAC also gave $5,000 apiece to U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff, D‑Ga.; Cory Booker, D‑N.J.; and Ben Ray Lujan, D‑N.M., all of whom are up for re-election next year.
Connecticut’s senior U.S. senator, Democrat Richard Blumenthal, whose seat is not up until 2028, raised $533,586 for his re-election from Jan. 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025. He reported cash on hand of $1.3 million .
And Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D‑New Haven, the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, raised $338,656 and spent $391,230 during the first six months of the year. About one-third of her expenditures — $132,156 – went to the House Democratic political arm to help the party regain the majority in the 2026 midterms. She had $172,874 in the bank.