Senate Republicans will lean on Sen. Lindsey Graham to lead fundraising efforts for the eventual GOP nominees in battleground states in an effort to counter Democrats’ dominant campaign cash operation that has outraised Republicans in recent cycles.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is launching a fund to bolster nominees next year challenging Democrats Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio to “ensure the nominee in each state will have a war chest at the ready as soon as they win their primary.”

“We will not be able to take back the Senate if our candidates get swamped by the Democrats’ money machine again,” Mr. Graham, South Carolina Republican who is leading the fund, said in a statement.

The new effort comes in the wake of a bruising 2022 midterm cycle in which Republicans’ expected red wave turned into a flop, with a net loss of one seat in the Senate, letting Democrats expand their majority and escape a 50-50 split chamber.

Republicans were outraised by Democrats in all six of the closest Senate races last year — in Georgia, Nevada, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Arizona and Pennsylvania. Republicans successfully defended their seats in North Carolina and Wisconsin but failed to flip blue seats in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada.

• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.