Instant Reax to House Dem Fundraising: “Staggering” “Monster” “Dominance”
Six months in and Democrats aren’t just advancing an agenda that addresses the concerns of everyday working people, they’re continue to post eye-popping fundraising totals while they’re at it.
The coverage speaks for itself, but here are some quick statistics that illustrate the groundwork Democrats have already laid as we work to protect and expand the most diverse House Majority in American history.
Fundraising Quick Facts:
- 6 Democratic challenger campaigns have already outraised GOP targets.
- 33 of 36 Democratic Frontline Members who flipped seats outraised the GOP Incumbent who held that seat in Q2 2017.
- 20 Frontline Members reported raising over $600,000.
- 30 Frontline Members raised over $500,000.
- 17 Frontline Members have either over $1,000,000 cash on hand, or are within $50k of the $1,000,000 mark.
- At the end of Q2 2019, Democratic Frontline Members have over $38,000,000 on hand.
- The DCCC had its best Q2 of an off-year in history with $29.2 million raised and best first six months of an off-year at $61.7 million raised in 2019
- The DCCC outraised all of the Democratic candidates for President in Q2.
—
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Freshmen Dems Fortify House Advantage With Massive Q2s
National Journal | Ally Mutnick
Swing-seat freshman Democrats raised a collective $24 million in the second quarter of 2019, a staggering sum that will provide an early fortification for key House battlegrounds and complicate Republicans’ attempts to reclaim the majority.
It’s the latest sign that the cash influx that boosted dozens of Democratic candidates to victory last November isn’t dissipating, even with the next election still more than a year away and with some two dozen presidential candidates competing for donations.
In total, 33 freshman Democrats raised at least $500,000 from April to June, more than twice the number who crossed that threshold in the first quarter, according to National Journal analysis of Federal Election Commission filings. And 23 of them began July with $900,000 or more in the bank.
[…]
For comparison, just five of the 30 Republican incumbents who lost to Democrats last cycle raised more than half a million in the second quarter of 2017.
[…]
House Dems, Senate GOP build money edge to protect majorities
The Hill | Reid Wilson
The most junior members of the new House Democratic majority spent the last three months building monster campaign accounts to protect their seats, while almost every senator up for reelection padded their early advantage over rivals from the other side.
Campaign fundraising reports filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission show the 44 Democrats who captured Republican-held seats in 2018 raised a collective $22.5 million, more than every Democratic presidential candidate except South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
Thirteen of those freshmen ended the month of June with more than $1 million in the bank, a significant amount of money for such junior members.
Targeted House members boost fundraising, as Democrats’ dominance continues
Roll Call | Bridget Bowman
Targeted House members in both parties generally improved their second-quarter fundraising compared to the same period two years ago, but Democrats continued to outpace their Republican counterparts as they worked to protect their majority.
The fundraising reports, which cover the three-month period of April through June and were filed on Monday, will likely quiet questions about whether the wave of cash that bolstered Team Blue in the midterms would return for Democratic lawmakers facing tough reelections in 2020.
On average, the 54 House Democrats whom Republicans are targeting for defeat raised nearly $100,000 more than the 30 targeted GOP lawmakers in the chamber. Democrats also had an average of nearly $180,000 more in their campaign coffers at June 30 than targeted Republicans.
“I’m an athlete, and my coaches always taught me that you win in the off-season,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairwoman Cheri Bustos said. “It’s clear we’ve taken that advice to heart, and we’re leaving nothing on the table.”
[…]
House Democrats’ campaign arm raises over $29 million in second quarter
The Hill | Max Greenwood
House Democrats’ campaign committee raised more than $29 million in the past three months, according to a person familiar with the fundraising numbers.
[…]
While Washington Republicans attack Americans’ ability to afford their health care and President Trump throws our country further into chaos with every 6 a.m. tweet, we’ve been steadily making early, aggressive field investments to build a big battlefield from day one. And with grass-roots supporters on our side, we won’t stop as we work to earn every vote.”
The DCCC’s second-quarter fundraising numbers include more than $13.3 million in grass-roots contributions, the source said.
House Dems raised $29M in second quarter for campaigning: Report
Fox Business | Staff
A new report claims the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised at least $29 million Opens a New Window. in the last three months.
According to sources speaking to the Hill Opens a New Window. , of the approximate $29 million raised, more than $13 million came from grassroots fundraising.
Local
CA-10: California Democrat in hot election rakes in huge fundraising numbers – again
Modesto Bee | Kate Irby
Rep. Josh Harder raised more money than every other freshman Democrat in his first quarter in office, and his second quarter numbers show he’s not slowing down.
Harder, D-Turlock, raised about $750,000 in the second quarter of 2019, according to numbers his campaign provided to McClatchy. He raised about $870,000 in the first three months of the year and has about $1.3 million in cash on hand as he prepares to run for re-election in 2020.
[…]
Harder’s district is one of seven in California that Democrats flipped from Republicans in 2018 and it’s shaping up to be a key battleground in 2020. He defeated four-term Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, in November and four Republicans have announced to return the Central Valley district to the GOP.
CA-45: Rep. Katie Porter tops frontline Congressional Democrats with $1M raised in second quarter
OC Register | Brooke Staggs
Rep. Katie Porter, an Irvine freshman who was part of a 2018 wave that flipped Orange County’s House representation from red to blue, raised more than $1 million in the three months ending June 30 — a number that her campaign says is among the biggest hauls in Congress.
Her campaign described the fundraising effort, which brings her 2020 re-election war chest to about $1.5 million for 2019, as more than any other targeted Democratic freshman in Congress and among the strongest of any Democratic candidate in the country.
[…]
CA-48: Rouda raised 774k in Q2
Politico Morning Score | Zach Montellaro
FIRST IN SCORE — THE (DOWNBALLOT) CASH DASH — Rouda in CA-48 raised $774,000 in the second quarter, his campaign told Score. He’ll report over $1.1 million on hand.
FL-26: Debbie Mucarsel-Powell crosses $1 million raised for the year
Florida Politics | Ryan Nicol
U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell says she’s added another $600,000 in fundraising in the second quarter of 2019. Combined with her first quarter numbers, the freshman congresswoman has now raised more than $1 million this year.
[…]
Mucarsel-Powell earned more than $450,000 in the first quarter of 2019. With another $600,000 added in the second quarter, Mucarsel-Powell’s campaign said she has nearly $950,000 on hand, after expenses.
The campaign said 90 percent of individuals contributions were small donations, at $50 or less. Zooming in even more, 76 percent of donations were at $10 or below.
CO-06: Democrat Jason Crow tops $1M in contributions for re-election bid
Colorado Politics | Ernest Luning
U.S. Rep. Jason Crow has raised more than $1 million for his 2020 re-election bid since unseating five-term Republican Mike Coffman, leaving the freshman Democrat with a hefty war chest to defend the suburban 6th Congressional District.
[…]
Added to the $504,317 Crow reported raising in the year’s first quarter and the roughly $90,000 he pulled in between the election and Dec. 31, that puts Crow’s fundraising total at $1,026,000.
[…]
IA-03: U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne raises $600K in three months for reelection bid to 3rd District
Des Moines Register | Barbara Rodriguez
U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne raised $600,000 in the last three months for her 2020 reelection bid, an indication that the race for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District seat could again be one of the most expensive in the state.
A Democrat, she ousted Republican David Young from the seat with 49% of the vote to Young’s 47.5% last year.
Axne enters the next quarter with at least $835,000 cash-on-hand available to spend, according to a draft of fundraising numbers she will report to the Federal Election Commission. She has raised more than $1 million to date in this election cycle.
IL-06, IL-14: Freshmen Reps. Sean Casten, Lauren Underwood each raise more than $1M as they prep for 2020 reelection effort, campaigns say
Chicago Tribune | Lisa Donovan
Freshman U.S. Reps. Sean Casten and Lauren Underwood, both part of a suburban blue wave in the 2018 midterms who defeated GOP incumbents in once-Republican strongholds, each have raised more than $1 million as they gear up for the 2020 election, according to their campaigns.
[…]
This cycle, Casten has raised more than $1.1 million and, after expenses, has $900,000 on hand, campaign manager Chloe Hunt said.
MI-ALL: Freshman House Dems lead Michigan delegation in campaign cash
Detroit News | Melissa Nann Burke
Washington — First-term Michigan Reps. Elissa Slotkin and Haley Stevens led fundraising in the House delegation last quarter, each bringing in about $735,000 and reporting over $1 million in the bank.
Both Democrats flipped Republican-held districts last fall, but so far face no GOP challengers for 2020.
Stevens of Rochester Hills raised $735,870 in the three months ended June 30, and Slotkin of Holly brought in about $734,400, according to disclosure reports.
MN-02: How Minnesota’s politicians in Congress fared on campaign finance reports
Twin Cities | Dana Ferguson
2nd Congressional District: Rep. Angie Craig, a Democrat, reported she raised more than $570,000 and had $700,000 on hand for her re-election bid.
NJ-02: Van Drew, the ‘comeback kid,’ raises $638k for re-election bid
New Jersey Globe | David Wildstein
[…]
The freshman congressman raised a massive $637,835 during the second quarter of 2019, a haul that is likely to put him near the top of House freshman fundraising nationally.
After raising just $120,556 during his first three-months as a congressman, Van Drew has rebounded. He has taken his cash-on-hand from $80,099 to $545,633 since April 1.
NJ-03: Andy Kim raises $572k in 2nd quarter, has almost $1 million cash-on-hand
New Jersey Globe | David Wildstein
Without taking any corporate PAC money, freshman Rep. Andy Kim (D-Marlton) raised a solid $572,000 during the second quarter of 2019 and has nearly $1 million cash-on-hand.
Kim has now raised more than $1.1 million in his first six months as a congressman. He raised $556,839 during the first quarter of this year.
[…]
NJ-05: Gottheimer, the titan of congressional fundraising, brings in $907k in 2nd quarter
NJ Globe | David Wildstein
Rep. Josh Gottheimer raised a mastodonic $907,658 during the second quarter of 2019 and has amassed a $5,683,966 warchest seventeen months before the next election.
The behemoth haul comes after raising $830,063 during the first three months of the year.
During his first six months as a congressman in 2017, Gottheimer raised $1.6 million. Now he’s topped that number, bring in in more than $1.7 million during the first half of his second term in the House.
Gottheimer raised $7,002,979 and spent $2,952,240 during his 2018 campaign, according to post-election reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission. He defeated former Cresskill councilman John McCann by 41,291 votes in a district almost evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans that Donald Trump carried by one percentage point.
NJ-07: Malinowski raises $568k for 2nd quarter, has $1 million banked
New Jersey Globe | David Wildstein
Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Rocky Hill) raised $568,000 during the second quarter of 2019 and has $1,020,000 cash-on-hand — a strong showing for a freshman congressman in the highly competitive 7th district.
Malinowski raised $562,384 during his first three months as a congressman.
“I am so grateful for the enthusiastic support our campaign continues to receive,” said Malinowski. “The voters sent me to Washington to fight for the Gateway Tunnel, affordable, high quality healthcare, and restoration of their SALT deduction. That’s what I will continue to do as long as I am privileged to represent the people of New Jersey’s 7th congressional district.”
[…]
NJ-11: Sherrill posts big 2nd quarter numbers, raising $590k
New Jersey Globe | David Wildstein
Freshman Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) began raising huge amounts of money in 2017 and still hasn’t stopped.
Sherrill reported another strong fundraising quarter, raising $590,000 in the second quarter of 2019 as she continues to look like a strong bet for re-election in a district she flipped last year after 34 years of Republican control.
She has more than $1.1 million cash-on-hand after raising $552,722 in her first three months in Congress.
More than 90% of Sherrill’s second quarter contributions have come from small-dollar grassroots donors, according to her campaign. That percentage matches her first quarter fundraising numbers.
“I’m grateful for the continued support for my work to secure tax relief, improve our transportation infrastructure, and strengthen our healthcare system,” Sherrill said. “I remain inspired by the commitment of North Jersey residents to our vision and a belief in government that works on behalf of all the people.”
[…]
NM-02: Luján, Torres Small raise big money in 2nd quarter
NM Political Report | Matthew Reichbach
Torres Small, a freshman Democrat, will be one of the top targets for Republicans in the 2020 elections and is continuing to raise money to attempt to keep the Republican-leaning seat.
She raised nearly $640,000 in the quarter and now has $1.01 million cash-on-hand for her reelection campaign.
[…]
NV-03, NV-04: Freshman Democrats build cash-on-hand advantages before races heat up
NV Indy | Megan Messerly
Two freshman Democrats fighting to hold onto their seats in 2020 in an effort to help their party retain its majority in the House have built up substantial cash leads to fend off any Republican challengers, according to quarterly campaign finance reports due on Monday.
Rep. Susie Lee, who represents Nevada’s swingy 3rd Congressional District, raised more than $470,000 in the second quarter of the year, while Rep. Steven Horsford, in the Democratic-leaning 4th District, brought in about $420,000 over that same time period. The highest raising Republican congressional candidate in either district over that same time period was former Assemblyman Jim Marchant, who is running to challenge Horsford and reported nearly $104,000 in contributions.
NY-19: Delgado amasses more than $1 million to defend congressional seat
Times Union | David Lombardo
U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado has a healthy war chest with 16 months before he has to defend his seat for the first time.
The freshman Democrat received about $672,000 in contributions over the past three months, bringing his total balance to $1.09 million, according to his campaign filing with the Federal Election Commission. No Republican candidate has yet to declare for the 19th Congressional District, which cradles the Capital Region.
Nearly 88 percent of Delgado’s contributions in the second quarter came from individual contributors and about 12 percent came from political committees. He spent more than a quarter of a million dollars during this period too.
[…]
OK-05: Democrat Horn outpaces GOP challengers in fundraising
Associated Press | Staff
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The latest campaign finance reports show Democratic U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn is continuing to outpace all of her Republican challengers in fundraising for Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District.
The lone Democrat in Oklahoma’s congressional delegation, Horn reported raising more than $960,000 through June 30.
[…]
Horn pulled one of the biggest upsets in the 2018 midterm election when she knocked off two-term GOP incumbent Rep. Steve Russell and flipped the Oklahoma City-area seat that had been in Republican hands for four decades.
SC-01: SC Democrat who flipped US House seat has $1M in the bank for 2020 re-election
McClatchy | Tom Barton
Vulnerable freshman Democrat U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham of Charleston raised more than $615,000 in the second quarter of 2019 in his campaign to hold on to his coastal congressional seat.
Cunningham’s campaign announced this week having more than $980,000 cash on hand. Detailed campaign finance reports are due Monday.
All told, Cunningham’s campaign announced it had raised nearly $1.4 million from more than 2,500 donors since he pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the 2018 election, reclaiming a seat that had been held by Republicans since 1981.
TX-ALL: Two Texas Republicans in Congress were outraised as national Democratic offensive kicks off in Texas
Texas Tribune | Patrick Svitek
As the DCCC targets the half dozen districts, its GOP counterpart is playing offense in two that flipped last year: the 7th and 32nd districts. In the 32nd District, Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, raked in $592,000, even though he does not have a serious Republican challenger yet. In the 7th District, Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston, raised $566,000. One of the Republicans vying to face her, Wesley Hunt, finished close behind at $514,000.
UT-04: Rep. Ben McAdams raises $525K in three months, among top fundraisers in the House
KUTV | McKenzie Stauffer
Rep. Ben McAdams is quickly approaching the $1 million fundraising mark.
After being sworn into office six months ago, the congressman has raised a total of $897,544, according to UtahPolicy.com. He raised more than half of the contributions, $525,000, between April and June, according to a press release.
“Democrats, Independents, and Republicans support Congressman McAdams’ bipartisan, problem-solving work on behalf of our state. Grassroots donors and community leaders from across the political spectrum are stepping forward to keep Ben’s independent voice speaking for all of us, regardless of party, in Congress,” Andrew Roberts, McAdams’ campaign manager, stated in a press release.
###