Tammy Baldwin raises $2.2 million in first quarter of 2017

MADISON — Democratic incumbent Tammy Baldwin may not have an opponent yet, but she's gearing up for what may be the toughest election of her political career.

Baldwin's campaign raised $2.2 million in the first three months of this year, in advance of her re-election bid in 2018. Her campaign said Wednesday that she has $2.4 million cash on hand.

By way of comparison, in 2015 when Republican Sen. Ron Johnson was 20 months away from re-election he raised nearly $1.3 million over the same quarter and had about $1.5 million cash on hand.

No Republican has yet to officially announce plans to challenge Baldwin, but many are considering getting in.

Wisconsin Republican Party spokesman Alec Zimmerman says, "No amount of money raised with her fellow liberal elites in Washington will erase the fact that Wisconsinites want a change."

Baldwin only released fundraising totals. Her report showing who donated will be filed later this month.