BOSTON - With a haul of $12.1 million in the last quarter, Elizabeth Warren has become one of the five most successful Senate fund-raisers of all time, surpassing the amount Hillary Rodham Clinton raised in her first Senate bid in 2000.
Ms. Warren, a Democrat and first-time candidate, has raised $36.29 million since she began her challenge last year to Senator Scott P. Brown, a Republican. Mr. Brown raised $7.45 million in the last quarter, which ended Sept. 30, bringing his total to $27.35 million.
Combined, their $63.6 million makes the Massachusetts race the most expensive for either the Senate or the House in the 2012 election cycle and the most expensive in Massachusetts history. Much of that money has gone to buy time on television; ads for both campaigns are saturating the local airwaves, while the two are running neck and neck in the polls.
Ms. Warren's aggressive fund-raising operation has bumped Mrs. Clinton ou t of fifth place for the most ever raised by a Senate candidate. Mrs. Clinton raised $30.2 million in 2000, her first campaign after serving as first lady.
But Mrs. Clinton still holds second place on that list, having raised even more ($51.6 million) for her re-election bid in 2006. Jon S. Corzine amassed $63.3 million in his successful 2000 Senate race in New Jersey - the most ever - but almost all of that came from his own wallet. If Mr. Corzine is discounted, Mrs. Clinton, who did not spend any of her own money in her Senate races, is the top Senate fund-raiser for all time.
Back in July, The Times reported that Ms. Warren had already reached No. 15 on the list, prepared by the Center for Responsive Politics, of most successful Senate fund-raisers in history.
No. 3 was Linda E. McMahon in Connecticut, who spent $50.3 million in 2010, but she, too, spent mostly her own money. This year, as she tries again for a Senate seat, she is also supplying cash to herself, but at a much lower level than she did two years ago.
No. 4 on the all-time high list was Rick A. Lazio, the New York Congressman who lost to Mrs. Clinton in 2000 even though he raised more money - $39 million. He has the distinction of having had one of the most successful third-quarter fund-raising periods ever, pulling in $22 million in that three-month period alone, a reflection of the forces lined up against Mrs. Clinton.
This third quarter was the most lucrative quarter for both Ms. Warren and Mr. Brown, although even combined, their totals did not reach Lazio heights.
Ms. Warren started behind Mr. Brown in fund-raising last year because he started with $7 million left over from his 2010 special election.
As they face the final three weeks of the campaign, Mr. Brown has $10.2 million cash on hand. Officials with the Warren campaign said they had roughly the same amount but had already spent about $3 million to pay for televisio n time in the homestretch, leaving them with $7.28 million cash on hand.
No one doubts that both will have the money to get their messages across.
Follow Katharine Q. Seelye on Twitter at @kseelye.
