One candidate even dropped out of her race altogether.
Fundraising struggles for the NRCC’s so-called “top GOP recruits” are emblematic of how turned off the public is by their extreme candidates and the never-ending chaos and dysfunction displayed by House Republicans.
In November, the National Republican Congressional Committee put out a memo dedicated in part to boasting about some of its new recruits, who, it said, would help expand the GOP’s razor-thin majority in the House.
But early in the election year, with still a long but quickly shrinking runway remaining, all of the dozen recruits the NRCC cited as “top GOP recruits running in target races” are well behind their Democratic opponents in terms of cash on hand, according to federal election filings.
As of Dec. 31, the latest data available, Democrats had an average cash-on-hand advantage of over $1 million in those races — $1,169,654, to be exact.
“The NRCC’s recruiting of far-right extremists to run for Congress has so far produced campaigns that are landing like lead balloons,” said Viet Shelton, a spokesperson for the NRCC’s competitor, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Democrats are optimistic about their chances of gaining control of the chamber, given the small number of seats they need to flip, redistricting fights in some states under Democratic legislative control and a series of missteps by House Republicans, including ousting now-retired Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from the speakership and having to redo an impeachment vote against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Unsurprisingly, several of the dozen “top GOP recruits” have faced difficulties in raising money.
In Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, Republican challenger Joe McGraw had raised only $220,763 through December, compared with incumbent Rep. Eric Sorensen’s (D-Ill.) $2.097 million. The cash-on-hand difference was $1.413 million.
In New York’s 18th District, incumbent Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) had raised $3.147 million through the end of December, compared with GOP challenger Alison Esposito’s $250,194. In Minnesota’s 2nd District, incumbent Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) had raised $3.053 million, compared with GOP challenger Joe Teirab’s $303,388.
One candidate among the dozen, Heidi Kasama, even dropped out of her race in Nevada to instead run again for her state Legislature seat.
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