In the race to replace the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Adam

b.

Schiff continues to maintain a strong lead over his rivals in fundraising, raking in nearly $6 million in campaign contributions over the past three months, according to federal reports released Sunday.

Rep. Katie Porter, a Democrat from Irvine, raised more than $3.3 million in July, August and September and has raised about $11 million since entering the race. Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from Oakland, raised about $1 million in the third quarter and has taken in about $3.2 million in total, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

All three Democrats have raised far more than the Republican contenders for the open Senate seat.

The primaries are in March

about less than

five months away. The fundraising numbers are an indication of the viability of candidates running for a rare open Senate seat in California, home to some of the nation’s most expensive media markets. Airing an effective television advertising campaign, which can cost millions of dollars per week in the Los Angeles market alone, is essential to any statewide campaign wooing the Golden State’s 22 million registered voters.

“It’s super expensive to reach voters in California, even in areas where voters aren’t very familiar with you,” said Democratic strategist Bill Wong, who does not work for any of the Senate candidates. “Good, compelling TV ads are going to be very expensive.”

Porter and Schiff

from Burbank,

both have national profiles, he said, and “it’s possible that Democratic voters will be aware of that, but the question is: How do you convince voters to choose? That will take a lot of effort and money to distinguish them.”

Schiff and Porter are among the House’s most prodigious fundraisers. But Porter spent $29 million last year to defend her seat in the House of Representatives in Orange County, while Schiff easily won re-election without having to put a big dent in the money he raised and can now use in the Senate campaign.

Schiff reported spending $4 million in the third quarter and ended the period with about $32 million in cash. Porter’s campaign reported spending $1.8 million and had about $12 million in cash on hand.

Lee’s campaign reported more expenses than revenue over the past three months, spending $1.1 million between July and September, about $77,000 less than she raised. The files show that $1.3 million is available for the campaign.

“If she can’t raise enough money to reach all the other crossover voters and differentiate herself, it will be very difficult for her to make it,” Wong said.

Lee’s burn rate: How quickly her campaign is spending the money it receives

is high, Wong said, a metric that campaigns are closely watching. It could be a sign that her campaign realizes it needs to “spend early to build a fundraising base and reach new donors” as it competes with Democrats with national profiles and more robust fundraising operations, Wong said.

How successful the existing candidates are at raising money could also be a factor in determining whether Laphonza Butler, Governor of the United States, raises money. Gavin Newsom’s appointee to Feinstein’s seat will enter the race.

herself.

Butler’s decision has the potential to significantly reshape the race.

“I honestly don’t know,” Butler told The Times earlier this month about whether she will run. “I want to focus on honoring Senator Feinstein’s legacy. I want to devote my time and energy to serving the people of California.”

The competition to replace Feinstein is further complicated by California’s “jungle” primary system. The two candidates who receive the most votes in the March 5 primary will advance to the November 5, 2024 primary.

,

general elections, regardless of political party.

If two Democrats win the most votes in the primaries, the elections through November will most likely be competitive and expensive. If a Republican secures one of the top two seats, the Democrat he faces will have a seemingly insurmountable advantage due to California’s progressive politics.

California last elected a Republican to statewide office in 2006, and has become more liberal since then. Democrats accounted for nearly half of registered voters in February, 47% of registered voters, Republicans 24% and voters with no party preference 22%, according to the Secretary of State’s most recent data.

Silicon Valley Executive Director Lexi Reese, a Democrat, reported raising about $712,000, of which she contributed about $250,000, the documents show. The Reese campaign reported spending $655,000 and had approximately $682,500 cash on hand as of September 30.

Republican attorney Eric Early reported raising $275,608 through September 30. Republican James Bradley, a Coast Guard veteran and former health care executive, reported raising $11,437.

Republican

Former Dodgers All-Star Steve Garvey, who announced last week that he would run for office, has made no disclosures about campaign finance.