Editor’s Note: This article, as published March 11, 2022, did not include data on individual contributions less than $200. It will be updated to include those contributions once it is available.
Campaign finance requirements govern how much money candidates may receive from individuals and organizations, how often they must report those contributions, and how much individuals, organizations, and political entities may contribute to campaigns.
While campaign finance is not the only factor in electoral outcomes, successful fundraising can provide a candidate with advantages during a campaign. Fundraising can also indicate party momentum.
This article lists top fundraisers in the Minnesota State Senate, overall and by party. It is based on campaign finance reports that officeholders in and candidates for the State Senate submitted to the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. It includes activity between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021.
Top fundraisers in the Minnesota State Senate by party
The top fundraisers in Minnesota State Senate elections are shown below. Individuals are presented with the office that they are on the ballot for in 2022, if applicable.
In the Democratic Party, the top fundraisers were:
- Foung Hawj – $36,650
- Omar Fateh – $36,500
- Dan Goodrich (District 33) – $32,250
- Nick Frentz (District 19) – $30,850
- Erin Murphy – $27,750
In the Republican Party, the top fundraisers were:
- Karin Housley – $50,610
- Paul Gazelka – $38,350
- Jeremy Miller – $31,300
- David Osmek – $28,300
- Torrey Westrom – $25,900
Fundraising totals
Overall, Democratic officeholders and candidates raised $398,397 in this period. Republican officeholders and candidates raised $434,827. Combined, all State Senate fundraisers in the January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021, filing period raised $853,783.
The five largest Democratic fundraisers were responsible for 41 percent of all Democratic State Senate fundraising. The five largest Republican fundraisers were responsible for 40 percent of all Republican State Senate fundraising.
The table below provides additional data from the campaign finance reports from the top ten fundraisers during this period.
TOP TEN FUNDRAISERS – MINNESOTA STATE SENATE (January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021)
| Name | Party Affiliation | Raised | Spent |
| Karin Housley | Republican Party | $50,610 | $22,756 |
| Paul Gazelka | Republican Party | $38,350 | $72,230 |
| Foung Hawj | Democratic Party | $36,650 | $7,519 |
| Omar Fateh | Democratic Party | $36,500 | $21,014 |
| Dan Goodrich | Democratic Party | $32,250 | $7,205 |
| Jeremy Miller | Republican Party | $31,300 | $6,620 |
| Nick Frentz | Democratic Party | $30,850 | $25,456 |
| David Osmek | Republican Party | $28,300 | $7,719 |
| Erin Murphy | Democratic Party | $27,750 | $22,797 |
| Aleta Borrud | Democratic Party | $25,900 | $19,669 |
Campaign finance reporting periods
The data above are based on campaign finance reports that candidate PACs submitted to the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. Candidate PACs represent individuals who have run for state or local office at any point, including past and present officeholders. This article does not include non-candidate PACs. In 2022, Transparency USA will publish campaign finance data after the following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.
| Report Name | Report Due Date |
| 2022 Jan Annual | 1/31/2022 |
| 2022 Q1 | 4/14/2022 |
| 2022 Q2 | 6/14/2022 |
| 2022 Jul Semiannual | 7/25/2022 |
| 2022 Q3 | 9/27/2022 |
| 2022 Q4 | 10/31/2022 |
| 2022 Jan Annual | 1/31/2023 |
This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.