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Republican fundraising in competitive Senate races surged in the third quarter, with GOP candidates in eight tight races outpacing Democrats on aggregate for the first time in the 2014 election cycle.

In eight competitive Senate races, Republicans brought in $30.1 million to Democrats $27.2 million, outpacing Democrats in five of the races. The totals are a significant shift since the second quarter, when Democrats in those races raised about $3 million more than their opponents. Exceptions to the trend include races in Kentucky, North Carolina and Louisiana, though Republicans made gains in the latter two states.

In Georgias Senate race, Republican David Perdue ramped up his fundraising efforts in recent months, outraising Democrat Michelle Nunn by more than $600,000 in the third quarter, including $500,000 the candidate loaned to himself in the lead-up to his July runoff election. Ms. Nunn had easily won the money race in the second quarter. The candidates havent yet released their cash-on-hand figures.

In Alaska and Iowa, where candidates in each party were tied in the second quarter, the Republicans fared better in recent months. In Alaska, Republican Dan Sullivanwho won the GOP primary in the state less than two months agoraised $2.8 million in the third quarter, beating Democratic Sen. Mark Begich by $800,000. Both candidates have similar amounts in the bank.

In Iowa, Republican Joni Ernst brought in more than twice the amount Democrat Bruce Braley raised. She also has twice as much in the bank.

The fundraising picture in Colorado reversed itself in recent months, with the most recent candidate reports showing Republican Cory Gardner outraised Democratic Sen. Mark Udall by about $400,000 in the third quarter. Mr. Udall had outpaced his opponent by the same amount in the second quarter. Mr. Gardner also has a cash advantage of about $1.3 million.

In Arkansas, where Republican Tom Cotton was one of the few candidates in his party to outraise a Democrat in the second quarter, Mr. Cottons advantage continued: He raised about $1.6 million more than Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor in the third quarter. Mr. Cotton also has nearly $2 million more in the bank.

In other states, Democrats continued to outraise their opponents, but by smaller margins. In Louisiana, Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu raised $2.7 million, about $200,000 more than her opponent. At the end of the second quarter, her advantage over Republican Bill Cassidy was significantly large at nearly $600,000.

In North Carolina, where Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan brought in one of the highest hauls of the cycle, Republican Thom Tillis stepped up his game, too, raising nearly $2 million more than he did in the second quarter. That narrowed Ms. Hagans advantage to $1.5 million, down from $2 million at the end of the second quarter. Ms. Hagan also spent $11.6 million in the third quarter, and now has $200,000 less in the bank than Mr. Tillis.

One notable exception to the trend came in the closely-contested Kentucky Senate race, where Democratic candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes outraised her opponent, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, by $1.7 million in the third quarter, and also reduced the Republicans cash-on-hand advantage, according to the candidates campaigns.

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Republican Fundraising Surges in Tight Senate Races