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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE). It includes activity between Jan. 1, 2022, and June 30, 2022.
Top fundraisers in the North Carolina State Senate by party
The top fundraisers in North Carolina 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 in the most recent semiannual reporting period were:
- Mary Wills Bode (District 18) – $389,819
- Sydney Batch (District 17) – $368,242
- Rachel Hunt (District 42) – $289,073
- Jay Chaudhuri (District 15) – $252,082
- Val Applewhite (District 19) – $229,785
In the Republican Party, the top fundraisers in the most recent semiannual reporting period were:
- Phil Berger (District 26) – $755,816
- Jim Perry (District 2) – $466,491
- Dave Craven (District 29) – $250,213
- Todd Johnson (District 35) – $219,598
- Brent Jackson (District 9) – $212,575
Fundraising totals
Overall, Democratic officeholders and candidates raised $3.1 million in this period. Republican officeholders and candidates raised $5.4 million. Combined, all State Senate fundraisers in the Jan. 1, 2022, through June 30, 2022, filing period raised $8.5 million.
The five largest Democratic fundraisers were responsible for 49 percent of all Democratic State Senate fundraising. The five largest Republican fundraisers were responsible for 35 percent of all Republican State Senate fundraising.
The table below provides additional data from the campaign finance reports from the top 10 fundraisers during this period.
| TOP 10 FUNDRAISERS – NORTH CAROLINA STATE SENATE (Jan. 1, 2022, through June 30, 2022) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Party Affiliation | Raised | Spent |
| Phil Berger | Republican Party | $755,816 | $323,949 |
| Jim Perry | Republican Party | $466,491 | $210,661 |
| Mary Wills Bode | Democratic Party | $389,819 | $46,595 |
| Sydney Batch | Democratic Party | $368,242 | $41,849 |
| Rachel Hunt | Democratic Party | $289,073 | $40,146 |
| Jay Chaudhuri | Democratic Party | $252,082 | $273,174 |
| Dave Craven | Republican Party | $250,213 | $45,423 |
| Val Applewhite | Democratic Party | $229,785 | $217,815 |
| Todd Johnson | Republican Party | $219,598 | $22,318 |
| Brent Jackson | Republican Party | $212,575 | $49,139 |
Campaign finance reporting periods
The data above are based on campaign finance reports that candidate PACs submitted to the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE). 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. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.
| Report Name | Report Due Date |
| 2022 Semiannual | 1/28/2022 |
| 2022 Q1 Plus | 5/10/2022 |
| 2022 Semiannual (only candidates not on 2022 ballot) | 7/29/2022 |
| 2022 Q3 Plus | 10/31/2022 |
| 2022 Q4 | 1/11/2023 |
| 2022 Year End Semiannual (only candidates not on 2022 ballot) | 1/27/2023 |
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.