Unsuccessful McCaskill campaign spent three times amount of Hawley

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Republican Josh Hawley's campaign spent about $11 million to successfully unseat Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill despite the Democratic incumbent's significant financial advantage during their marquee U.S. Senate race, according to campaign finance reports released Thursday.

A month after the key GOP win, records show Hawley spent about $3.9 million between Oct. 18 and Nov. 26. He raised about $1.5 million in donations during that same time period, which includes his Nov. 6 victory over McCaskill.

In total, Hawley brought in about $11.8 million in cash to spend during his campaign.

Data on McCaskill's final spending and fundraising leading up to the election were not yet available online Thursday, but she outraised and outspent Hawley throughout the race. As of mid-October, McCaskill had spent $33 million throughout the campaign cycle.

Hawley won the election by about 6 percentage points in Missouri, a state that has increasingly trended Republican in recent years. President Donald Trump won the state by nearly 19 percentage points in 2016, and nearly all statewide elected posts are held by Republicans.

The GOP had long targeted McCaskill's seat, but she's a crafty campaigner and had survived tough races before. She embarrassed Republicans in 2012 when she used what she called "reverse psychology" by running ads in the GOP primary decrying the conservative resume of the weakest candidate, former Rep. Todd Akin. He won and went on to lose to McCaskill in the general election after saying women's bodies can prevent pregnancy in cases of "legitimate rape."

Hawley, who campaigned as a strong supporter of Trump, will assume the office in January. As the state's current attorney general, he will be replaced by current Treasurer Eric Schmitt. Republican Gov. Mike Parson has not yet announced who he will appoint to replace Schmitt.