Democrats Outraise Republicans in Congressional Fundraising

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign recently announced a significant transfer of nearly $25 million to support Democratic candidates in down-ballot races. This move underscores the competitive fundraising landscape between the two major parties as they vie for control of the House and Senate. Despite this, individual Democratic Senate candidates have demonstrated a stronger financial position.

As of July 31, the latest available filings show that the Democratic National Committees for the House and Senate have slightly outpaced their Republican counterparts in fundraising. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) collectively raised $382.4 million, compared to $354.7 million raised by the Republican committees. This edge is primarily due to the Democrats’ substantial advantage in House race fundraising, where the DCCC outperformed the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) by $55 million. However, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) raised approximately $27 million more than the DSCC.

The top Democratic super PACs, including the House Majority PAC and Senate Majority PAC, also surpassed their Republican rivals, amassing a combined total of $298 million. In comparison, the GOP’s Congressional Leadership Fund and Senate Leadership Fund raised $254.9 million. These totals reflect different reporting timelines, with the Democratic PACs reporting through July 31 and the GOP PACs through June 30.

Despite their overall fundraising advantage, Democrats have faced challenges in specific areas. While Democratic Senate super PACs out-raised their Republican counterparts, they were narrowly beaten by the GOP’s House-focused PAC, even with an additional month of reported funds.

When examining cash on hand, Democrats hold a stronger position. As of the end of July, Democratic official committees reported $151.3 million in cash, surpassing the $124.4 million held by Republicans. Republican super PACs, however, had a higher cash balance as of June’s end, totaling $227.9 million compared to $212.8 million for Democratic super PACs. The House Democratic PAC’s addition of $16.8 million in July suggests that Democrats may have closed the gap or even surpassed Republicans in available funds.

As of the end of July, Democrats reported a total fundraising amount of $680.4 million across their main committees and super PACs, exceeding Republicans’ total of $609.6 million. However, updated figures for August are not yet available, with national party committees scheduled to report on September 20. Additionally, the Harris campaign’s $25 million donation to down-ballot groups will not be reflected in the Federal Election Commission filings until October 20.

While the national fundraising race is closely contested, Democrats have demonstrated a significant fundraising advantage in critical Senate races. Candidates in the top eight most competitive Senate contests—Montana, Ohio, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Maryland—have collectively raised more funds than their Republican opponents. Notable examples include Democratic Senator Jon Tester in Montana, who has raised $39.3 million compared to GOP challenger Tim Sheehy’s $14 million. In Ohio, Senator Sherrod Brown has raised nearly three times as much as Republican opponent Bernie Moreno. Michigan’s Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin has attracted $24 million, significantly outpacing Republican Mike Rogers.

The only exception is Florida, where Republican Senator Rick Scott has raised $20.2 million, surpassing Democratic challenger Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell’s $14.4 million.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC), which supports candidates nationwide, has also outpaced the Republican National Committee (RNC) in fundraising, securing $316.8 million through July, compared to the RNC’s $290.7 million. However, the RNC ended July with a cash advantage, holding $99.1 million compared to the DNC’s $65.8 million, partly due to higher expenditures by Democrats.

The fundraising efforts for congressional candidates are comparable to the significant sums raised by Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Harris’ campaign and affiliated groups have raised $540 million since President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race, including $516.8 million reported by the Biden campaign before the switch. In contrast, Trump’s campaign reported $268.5 million in fundraising by the end of July. Harris also leads Trump in cash on hand, with $219.7 million compared to Trump’s $151.3 million.

The battle for congressional control is fiercely contested, with Republicans holding a slim nine-seat majority in the House and Democrats maintaining narrow control of the Senate. Polling averages show a divided electorate, with 47% favoring Democrats and 44.5% supporting Republicans. Democrats face a challenging Senate map in November, with vulnerable incumbents like Tester and Brown defending seats in conservative-leaning states. The party’s potential to pick up seats relies on challenging Republican incumbents in states like Florida and Texas, where Democratic challengers are competitive but face tough odds.