Eyeing Senate, Clinton directing money to 2016 battlegrounds

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Clinton, seeking a governing coalition if she wins the White House, is pumping millions of dollars into key battleground states at the heart of her presidential map and Democrats' quest to regain control of the Senate.

The Democratic National Committee and state parties are spending about $2 million initially to build coordinated campaigns in eight battleground states with competitive Senate races.

The money is being raised by Clinton's campaign through her Hillary Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee that allows Clinton to raise large checks of more than $350,000 from wealthy donors.

Democrats say the coordinated effort, now a staple in presidential campaigns, will try to build up the party's network of field organizers earlier in the election and work more closely with Senate, House and state and local campaigns than in previous election cycles.

The campaigns will be run by the DNC and state parties, helped by outside advisers such as former Obama deputy campaign manager Jennifer O'Malley Dillon, and coordinate with local, state and federal campaigns.

Four of the states with the coordinated campaign are expected to feature women seeking Senate seats — Catherine Cortez Masto in Nevada, Katie McGinty in Pennsylvania, Maggie Hassan in New Hampshire and Deborah Ross in North Carolina — creating the potential for two women atop their state's Democratic ticket.