Memorandum
To: Interested Parties
From: Andy Orellana, DCCC Western Press Secretary
Re: Impressive 3rd Quarter Fundraising from California Frontline Members
Date: October 17, 2019
In 2018, Democrats gained seven seats in California with the victories of Red to Blue candidates Josh Harder (CA-10), TJ Cox (CA-21), Katie Hill (CA-25), Gil Cisneros (CA-39), Katie Porter (CA-45), Harley Rouda (CA-48), and Mike Levin (CA-49).
Headed into the fourth quarter of 2019, those California Democrats are focused on winning it in the off-year, by raising the resources needed in order to communicate their message to voters and mount formidable reelection campaigns.
Quick Facts on California Democrats Raising the Resources to Win:
- All SEVEN California Democrats are currently holding a cash-on-hand advantage over their main Republican opponents.
- SIX California Democrats raised over $1 million in the first nine months of this year.
- California Democrats took in more contributions in the 3rd quarter than their GOP opponents in SIX races targeted by the GOP.
- FIVE California Democrats currently have over $1 million cash-on-hand and TWO Freshman Democrats having nearly $2 million or more in cash-on-hand.
- In California’s 10th, 25th, 45th and 49th, Democrats have not only outraised their main GOP opponent this year but outraised the whole Republican field combined that is vying to compete for their seats.
Quick Facts on California Republicans Running into Fundraising Failures:
- In CA-48, Michelle Steel is a paper tiger. For the second time in as many quarters, Steel has had to dump her own cash into her race. Rouda took in more than $55,000 more than Steel in donations from supporters – instead, she gave her campaign $200,000 of her own money to make up the difference.
- Top NRCC-touted recruits, Mike Garcia and Angela Underwood-Jacobs of CA-25, have taken in contributions totalling under ONE-THIRD as much as Rep. Hill between the two of them and are currently sitting on over $200,000 in debts while Hill has over a $1 million cash-on-hand advantage.
- In CA-10, NRCC-touted “Young Guns” Ted Howze and Bob Elliott have been completely financially outgunned. Between the two of them they have less than half the cash-on-hand of Rep. Harder even with Howze loaning nearly $600,000 to his campaign.
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