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Coons Outraises Katz 26-to-1 Ahead of Delaware Senate Vote

Source: 538andMe · All 538andMe reports

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Summary

This 538andMe.io segment profiles incumbent Sen. Christopher Coons (D-DE) days before the November 3, 2026, general election against Republican challenger Dr. Mike Katz. It details Coons's tenure since 2010, the fundraising gap (Coons $4.17M vs. Katz $159K, a 26.2x advantage), his rank among senators by money raised, donor breakdown (47.7% individuals, 33.8% PACs), 54 bills introduced (one enacted), focus areas (commerce, international affairs, armed forces), 5.9% party-line crossover rate (17th most bipartisan in Senate), and 5.7% missed votes. The format emphasizes every vote, dollar, and trade disclosure via the site's data tool.

Editorial Assessment

The broadcast is a data-driven candidate profile relying on public FEC filings, congressional records, and vote tallies rather than anonymous sources or guest commentary. All key statistics check out against primary data, though later filings show Coons ultimately raised more than the $4.17M cited. Viewers receive a clear picture of Coons's financial and legislative record but no policy contrast with Katz or discussion of Delaware's strong Democratic lean that made the race non-competitive. The neutral presentation avoids loaded language, but the heavy emphasis on fundraising disparity could subtly reinforce perceptions of incumbency advantage without exploring outside spending or self-funding by Katz.

Key Moments

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Coons has raised $4.17 million to Katz's $159,000, a 26.2 times advantage, ranking 34th of 98 senators

Matches early-to-mid cycle FEC data reported by OpenSecrets and other trackers; final pre-election totals were higher for Coons ($4.9M-$7.7M) but the ratio and relative rank hold.

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47.7% of Coons's funds from individual donors and 33.8% from PACs and committees

Aligns with OpenSecrets breakdown for the 2025-2026 cycle showing roughly 44% large individual, 33% PAC, with the cited figures likely reflecting a specific filing snapshot.

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Coons introduced 54 bills this Congress, ranking 45th of 100 senators; one became law

LegiPlex and Senate records confirm 54-55 bills introduced in the 119th Congress with one enacted (bankruptcy administration measure).

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Coons crossed over on 47 of 794 party-line votes (5.9%), ranking 17th of 98 senators in bipartisanship

Consistent with party-unity and maverick trackers showing Coons voting with Democrats ~94% on divided votes and crossing more often than most in his party.

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Coons missed 52 of 915 roll call votes (5.7%)

Matches congressional attendance records for the period covered; his career missed-vote rate is around 3%.

Sources Consulted

  1. Delaware election 2026: Coons vs. Katz - WHYY
  2. Chris Coons – U.S. Congress – Summary – OpenSecrets
  3. KATZ, MICHAEL S DR. - Candidate overview | FEC
  4. Christopher Coons - U.S. Senator | LegiPlex
  5. Sen. Christopher Coons [D-DE] - GovTrack.us
  6. Delaware U.S. Senate Election Live Results 2026 | AP News
  7. Members of Congress Ranked by Party Loyalty | Capitol Lens

Background

  1. 2026 United States Senate election in Delaware - Wikipedia