Democrat Doug Jones Trails Tommy Tuberville in Polls and Donations

With Labor Day behind, campaigns for the fall General Election are beginning to ramp up their media advertising. In the gubernatorial race, both candidates hit the airwaves in the last week.

Polls reveal Democrat Doug Jones needs to make the best of the campaign dollars he has on hand and will receive before voters head to the polls.

According to the Alabama Campaign Finance Tracker, which pulls numbers from the Alabama Secretary of State's Office, the last campaign filings show Jones has raised $4,764,710 and spent $2,237,231. That pales in comparison to Republican nominee Tommy Tuberville. Alabama's U.S. senator has raised $14,534,353 and spent $5,601,842 so far.

The Tuberville campaign had $3 million on hand last May and has seen donations on a steady upward trend, totaling 39,874 contributors. Campaign tracker data reveals that the bulk of that fundraising, $11.4 million, has come from in-state donations.

Jones' financial support comes from far more and smaller individual donations. The latest public data credits the Jones campaign with 39,874 donations, with just over 57% coming from in-state contributors.

Tracker figures also show the Jones campaign started with virtually no donations in November of last year and has been fundraising at a lower upward trajectory than Tuberville.

To this point, Tuberville is running with a major financial advantage, both in total fundraising and current cash reserves. Jones is competitive in donor count, but Tuberville's fundraising pace and cash position are significantly stronger.

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Both candidates did minimal advertising during their individual party primaries because each was the presumptive favorite to win. That allowed them to carry a significant amount of their campaign war chest forward to the fall campaign.

Longtime political observers estimate this year's governor's race will cost between $20 million and $30 million in total spending, based on current fundraising levels and historical statewide spending patterns. That means voters can expect a wave of campaign advertising between now and Election Day.

Jones lost his bid to retain his U.S. Senate seat to Tuberville by almost 500,000 votes in 2020. The former Auburn football coach's 60% total was one of the most lopsided Senate wins in recent Alabama history. Will that be replicated in November, or can Jones build some momentum between now and then?

There are several factors that weigh on fundraising in this year's faceoff:

Will national Democrats believe Jones has a good enough chance to win and route national campaign dollars to him?

How will Tuberville's loyal backing of President Trump play out in voters' campaign contribution choices?

The General Election will mark the fourth time the electorate has headed to the polls this year, and turnout each time has been exceptionally low. Will voter fatigue impact contributions?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.