Claire McCaskill Gains Off Todd Akin Gaffe, With $5.8 Million In Latest Haul

Claire McCaskill Posts Big Number After Todd Akin's Gaffe
FILE - In this Sept. 21, 2012 file photo, Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., speaks during the first debate in the Missouri Senate race, in Columbia, Mo. A conservative fundraising group endorsed embattled Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin on Thursday and said its membership had pledged $290,000 to help replenish the Republican's financially strapped campaign against Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
FILE - In this Sept. 21, 2012 file photo, Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., speaks during the first debate in the Missouri Senate race, in Columbia, Mo. A conservative fundraising group endorsed embattled Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin on Thursday and said its membership had pledged $290,000 to help replenish the Republican's financially strapped campaign against Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill posted a massive fundraising haul of $5.8 million for the third quarter of the year, further evidence of the political fallout from Rep. Todd Akin's "legitimate rape" comments.

The incumbent Democratic senator went on Twitter Wednesday to announce the number, which is more than twice her second-quarter total of $2.6 million.

Akin, McCaskill's GOP challenger in this year's Senate race, has not yet disclosed his fundraising total for the same period, but it's unlikely to come close since the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Karl Rove-backed Crossroads GPS abandoned him amidst the public outcry over his August remarks.

The senatorial committee, which called on Akin to drop out of the race in August, said last week that it still endorses Akin's Missouri Senate bid. But the group's chairman, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), emphasized that it has "no plans" to support Akin's campaign financially.

"I just think that this is not a winnable race," Cornyn said. "We have to make tough calculations based on limited resources and where to allocate it, where it will have the best likelihood of electing a Republican senator."

In Arizona, another Senate race is showing promising signs for the Democrats. Their candidate, Richard Carmona, raised $2.2 million in the third quarter as he remains locked in a close race with GOP nominee Rep. Jeff Flake.

Politico reports:

The $2.2 million haul doubled the $1.1 million Carmona raised from April through June. In that quarter, Flake trailed his Democratic rival, raising about $900,000. Flake's third quarter figures have not been released.

Carmona's new numbers come as outside money has poured into the race. The conservative Club for Growth launched $500,000 in ads hammering Carmona, a response to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee dumping $526,000 into the race.

Carmona and Flake are competing for the seat held by retiring Republican Sen. Jon Kyl. Polling has shown a tight contest with Flake occasionally leading by a couple of percentage points, although Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling teased a new poll Wednesday that shows Carmona ahead by two points.

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