US Election 2024: Harris outraises Trump as Democrats urged to target Florida and Texas

• The latest US election news from the weekend

• Money comes for Harris on the campaign and in the betting

• Democrats urged to expand Senate targets to Florida and Texas

• View Betfair Exchange politics markets as you have never seen before at Betfair Predicts

What you may have missed in the last 24 hours of the US Election

Harris is outraising Trump

Kamala Harris' campaign raised more than four times Donald Trump's in August, spending the vast majority of that cash on advertising.

Harris' campaign raised $190 million, while Trump's campaign raised only $43 million.

Harris' campaign also believes that committees connected to her campaign are outraising Trump's - raising a total of $361 million in August, versus $130 million by Trump-connected groups.

This mirrors the battle being waged on the betting markets, as the smart money has flowed towards Kamala Harris' campaign in the last few weeks.

In the last week alone, punters on the Betfair Exchange have wagered almost £1.9m on Harris, compared to only £1.4m on Trump.

US Election winner market

Kamala Harris - 5/61.84 - 55% chance of winning

Donald Trump - 6/52.20 - 45% chance of winning

Senate up for grabs

The Washington Post reported over the weekend that Senate Democrats have been pushing party leaders to expand their electoral map, even to Republican strongholds Florida and Texas.

Their rationale? That this is a ripe opportunity to target unpopular incumbents Rick Scott and Ted Cruz, both national figures who have not been targeted by the Democratic Party machinery in the battle for Senate seats this November.

The funding gulf is stark between these two Senate races compared to some of the other races Democrats are targeting in this cycle.

In Florida, Democrats have only spent around $5m on online advertising, compared to around over $100m each in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Montana. This suggests the Democrats are focusing on states where they believe they have an advantage, to the detriment of other potential wins.

Yet winning the Senate is looking difficult for the Democrats in this electoral cycle.

On the Betfair Exchange, the odds of Democrats controlling the Senate after November's election is out at 13/5, giving them a 28% chance of winning. The Republicans are well ahead at 1/31.33, or a 75% chance of winning.

Control of the Senate

Democrats - 13/5 - 28% chance of winning

Republicans - 1/3 - 75% chance of winning

More endorsements to come?

As the Democratic National Convention got underway at the end of August, speculation was rife that a celebrity endorsement was incoming. Media was abuzz with excitement at the potential of a Beyoncé or Taylor Swift endorsement.

In the end, neither popstar appeared at the convention - nor did some of the Republican heavyweights who many thought might join Harris' crowning moment.

Yet there may be more to come very soon.

This week, MSNBC anchor Lawrence O'Donnell highlighted the deafening silence of George W Bush, and other senior members of his government. Dick Cheney, Bush's former vice president, has already endorsed Kamala Harris, as has his daughter Liz Cheney, a recent congresswoman.

In the past, significant endorsements have had an impact in the betting markets.

Biden's odds drifted from 7/18.00 to 19/120.00 when Barack Obama signaled his lack of faith, which was widely reported in the media before Biden stepped down.

Now read Betting.Betfair US Election Live Blog

Taylor Swift's endorsement boosted Harris' chances of winning from 52% to 56% last month.