Despite being in the minority, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised a record-shattering $11.5 million in July, outraising the National Republican Congressional Committee by $3.5 million. The DCCC’s totals include $7 million in online donations, nearly matching the entire fundraising total for the NRCC. The previous best July was 2012, when the DCCC raised $8.2 million.
With $56.7 million in the bank, the DCCC has nearly $9 million more cash on hand than the NRCC and has conserved $20.5 million more cash than at this point in the 2012 cycle.
“Republicans staggered into August recess having confronted the best July fundraising in the DCCC’s history,” said DCCC Chairman Steve Israel. “Hundreds of thousands of people are fighting back against this Republican Congress that does nothing for the middle class while devoting all their energy and millions of taxpayer dollars suing the President.”
The DCCC raised $7 million online from more than 400,000 donations, at an average of $17.50. That total includes more than 80,000 first time givers. This total beat the DCCC’s record for July by 50 percent.
The impact of the DCCC’s fundraising dominance is being felt in districts across the country, especially when the DCCC’s initial fall TV reservations were $14 million more than the NRCC in 10 more districts. In addition, the DCCC has more than doubled its investment in field operations and put staff on the ground in dozens of districts starting in January – six months earlier than ever before.
As the Rothenberg Political Report observed last week: “Due to impressive fundraising by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Democrats could have the financial advantage this fall and have the opportunity to define the general election debate in key races.” [Rothenberg Political Report, 8/15/14]
| July $$$ | DCCC | NRCC* |
| Raised July | $11.5 M | $8 M |
| Raised YTD | $60.4 M | $48.8 M |
| Raised cycle | $136.2 M | $109 M |
| Cash On Hand | $56.7 M | $48 M |
*As reported by the AP
| June $$$ | DCCC | NRCC |
| Raised June | $10.9 M | $9.6 M |
| Raised Q2 | $25.3 M | $19.7 M |
| Raised cycle | $124.7 M | $101 M |
| Cash On Hand | $50.9 M | $42.5 M |
Why the success?
- Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is a fundraising force, both among grassroots and major donors. Along with Leader Pelosi, DCCC Chairman Steve Israel is sustaining a blistering pace of fundraising around the country.
- President Obama is holding his tenth fundraising event of the year for the DCCC later this month in Rhode Island.