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Among those watching the White House race most closely a year from Election Day are those who stand to gain the most from the top-of-the-ticket contest. House and Senate candidates from both parties know their fates are closely tied to the fortunes of their parties’ respective presidential nominees and the tenor of the national conversation next November.  

“Obviously the national environment is something that, to a certain extent, we have very little control over,” NRSC Communications Director Andrea Bozek said. “So our mentality is to prepare for the worst-case scenario.”  

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a key national ally for candidates or Senate, endorsed Arkansas Democrat Conner Eldridge Thursday in his uphill race against Republican Sen. John Boozman next fall.  

"Conner Eldridge knows how to fight for Arkansas and will do exactly that once elected to the Senate," Sen. Jon Tester, the Montana Democrat who chairs the DSCC, said in a statement. "After working to keep Arkansas communities safe from violent crime and drug trafficking, it’s clear Conner is an outstanding public servant who is the best candidate to win next fall, and we’re proud to support Conner in his campaign.”  Eldridge, a former Obama-appointed federal prosecutor, launched his campaign in early September and, in just a month, went on to outraise Boozman  in the third quarter,  $403,000 to $359,000.  

How much candidates have raised and how much money they have in the bank aren’t the only two numbers that matter in a quarterly fundraising report. The depth of a candidate's pockets and how deeply they're willing to dig into them can be just as, or more, important.  

Campaigns are often loath to draw attention to the self-funded portion of their disclosures — it can undermine the appearance of grass-roots support and set them up for attack.  

In Illinois, 8th District Rep. Tammy Duckworth has raised more than vulnerable GOP Sen. Mark S. Kirk and fellow Democrat Andrea Zopp. Duckworth hauled in $1.46 million to Kirk’s $1.05 million. She ended the period with $2.8 million on hand, compared to Kirk’s $3.62 million.

The biggest surprise came in Arkansas' safe Republican Senate seat. Less than a month after launching his campaign, wealthy former U.S. attorney Conner Eldridge  reportedly raised $403,000 to Sen. John Boozman’s $359,000. Boozman, however, still holds the cash advantage with $1.12 million in the bank. Because House candidates generally raise less money than their upper chamber peers, it’s less unusual for them to out-raise incumbents.  

Arkansas Democrat Conner Eldridge’s campaign said Thursday he raised $403,000 in the third quarter, a total well above the $359,000 raised by Sen. John Boozman, the Republican he is trying to unseat.  

The fundraising report came less than a month after Eldridge, a former U.S. attorney who was appointed by President Barack Obama, launched his campaign against the Arkansas Republican. “I am excited and encouraged by the momentum we have seen for our campaign in just 21 days,” Eldridge said in a statement.  

Arizona, Arkansas and Missouri look like unlikely pickups for Democratic Senate candidates to win in 2016. But Democrats are preparing for the unlikely.  

You don't need to look any further back than 2012, when despite a favorable GOP climate, mistakes by two favored Republican candidates kept the party from winning control of the Senate.  

Conner Eldridge, a Democratic former U.S. attorney, said Wednesday he will run for Senate next year in Arkansas against Republican Sen. John Boozman.  

Arkansas is emerging from a swift political power transfer, with Sen. John Boozman suddenly finding himself the new dean of an all-Republican congressional delegation.  

The 2016 cycle could feature the fewest open Senate seats in at least a decade.  

Of the 34 senators facing re-election next year, just one has announced retirement . A CQ Roll Call survey of the entire Senate class showed only one more senator publicly undecided about re-election, plus three additional senators considering bids for other offices. Two more Senate offices did not return requests for comment on re-election plans, though Democrats are near certain one of them — Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., will seek another term.