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McCaskill raises more than $4 million for re-election bid

Trump won Missouri by nearly 19 percentage points two years ago, and McCaskill is viewed as one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats facing re-election.
Credit: Zach Gibson
WASHINGTON, D.C. - APRIL 05: Senate Homeland Ranking Member Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) speaks during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing on April 5, 2017 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill said Wednesday that she raised more than $4.3 million in the last quarter and has more than $12.2 million in cash to spend on her re-election bid, though her likely Republican challenger is getting a hand from President Donald Trump.

State Attorney General Josh Hawley's campaign hasn't released its latest finance report, which is due Sunday. The Republican front-runner has trailed McCaskill in fundraising, bringing in $1.5 million to her $3.9 million in the first three months of 2018.

Hawley is getting help from Trump, who is scheduled to attend a July 24 fundraiser for Hawley in Kansas City, according to an invitation on a county Republican Party website. Tickets range from $2,000 to $25,000 per couple in contributions to a joint fundraising committee set up for Hawley.

Trump also headlined a fundraiser for Hawley in March.

Still, Hawley would need to raise a sizeable amount to catch up to McCaskill. She's had years to build up a war chest, and has been raking in millions every quarter.

Her campaign didn't immediately reply to an inquiry Wednesday about how much it spent last quarter, which ran from April through June.

Trump won Missouri by nearly 19 percentage points two years ago, and McCaskill is viewed as one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats facing re-election.

Outside groups are expected to spend heavily on the race, which could help offset McCaskill's financial advantage if Hawley continues to lag in campaign fundraising.

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