New FEC reports are in, and boy, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has not done well in the fundraising department.
That's the lowest total—$11.9 million—on hand at this point in a campaign since 2000. At the end of July, the committee had $23.8 million on hand but is defending so many seats this cycle—seats that were supposedly safe—it's had to spend a lot, early, leading to their drained coffers. Of course, they do have plenty of billionaires and Super PACs on hand to fund them.
The Democrats, on the other hand, continue to outpace the NRSC. The DSCC had $31 million on hand at the end of July and has been kicking elephant ass since.
The DSCC raised $8.5 million in August, the best August in committee history, outraising the NRSC by $2.1M million despite being in the minority. The DSCC has outraised the NRSC 18 of the last 20 months this cycle. On the cycle, the DSCC has raised $27.6 million more than the NRSC. The DSCC increased its cash on hand to $34 million, has no operational debt and has $22.2 million more cash on hand than the NRSC.
One big difference—Democratic senators, like Chuck Schumer and Patty Murray are pitching in, while:
Republicans are now trying to wring every last bit out of their members, after Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama spurned transferring any of his $10 million. Now the GOP hopes that NRSC Vice Chairs Dean Heller of Nevada and Tom Cotton of Arkansas may make a last-minute transfer. They have yet to give money directly to the group, GOP sources said, though they have helped raise funds directly for the NRSC.
Republican senators would clearly rather rely on the Koch brothers and Adelson and all the other billionaires than one another.
Can you chip in $3 to each of these candidates to get more Democrats into the House and Senate?
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