Attorney Joe Miller’s upset victory over Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the Alaska Republican Senate primary in late August didn’t just give an unexpected boost to his tea party backers — it also stirred support for Democratic nominee Scott McAdams.

McAdams, the mayor of Sitka, announced Saturday he raked in more than $650,000 in about five weeks following the primary.

Before Murkowski was defeated in the primary, McAdams was expected to be little more than a sacrificial lamb. He had raised just $17,000 by early August after joining the Senate race in early June, according to his pre-primary fundraising report. But some Democrats now think Murkowski’s write-in campaign could split the GOP vote and give them a chance to steal the Alaska seat in November.

McAdams’ recent financial haul has allowed him to launch a media offensive that includes a pair of commercials as well as radio advertising.

More than half of McAdams’ contributions came from Alaskans and 90 percent were less than $200, according to the release from his campaign.

“I haven’t taken trips to Washington D.C., and I haven’t had big-dollar dinners with corporate donors,” McAdams said in the release. “This campaign is about Alaskans and giving them the opportunity to support a strong future for our state.”

Miller has been on a fundraising jaunt in Washington, D.C., in the past week. He has been embraced by the national GOP establishment since winning the primary.