Dana Balter, fueled by a surge in contributions from Democratic donors, raised more than $1.5 million for her campaign to unseat Rep. John Katko over the past three months, Balter's campaign said Monday.

The total is a quarterly fundraising record for any candidate in the Syracuse-based 24th Congressional District over the past three decades, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Katko, R-Camillus, who is seeking his third term in office, had his best fundraising quarter in 2016 when he raised more than $525,000 in the third quarter. Until now, that was the most any candidate in the Syracuse-based congressional district had raised in a single quarter dating to the late 1980s.

Balter benefited from a surge of small-dollar donations raised through ActBlue, the online fundraising tool used by Democrats to reach grassroots donors across the nation. Her campaign disclosed it raised $521,866 through ActBlue in the month of August alone.

The surge in donations helped replenish Balter's campaign account, but her campaign's total cash on hand was not yet available Monday.

Balter needed the boost after spending most of her campaign cash fighting off a Democratic primary challenge from Juanita Perez Williams in the June 26 election. Balter emerged as the winner but had only $113,305 left in her campaign account. Katko began the same period with more than $1.6 million in the bank.

All told, Balter received more than 40,000 individual donations during the third quarter, with the average donation at less than $35 per person, her campaign said. Balter has declined to accept contributions from corporate political action committees.

It was not possible to independently verify the figures Monday because Balter's campaign had not yet filed an itemized fundraising report with the Federal Election Commission. That report is due by Oct. 15.

Political analysts have credited an energized Democratic base and the increased role of online fundraising for the surge in donations to candidates challenging incumbent Republicans in House races this year.

Balter has increased her public profile over the past three months, holding meetings open to the public in each county across the 24th Congressional District. The district covers all of Onondaga, Cayuga and Wayne counties, and the western half of Oswego County.

Katko and Balter have agreed to one debate on Oct. 24 at syracuse.com and are negotiating terms for three televised debates.

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751