Democratic governors group raises $23 million in first quarter

The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) announced on Monday it raised $23.25 million in the first quarter of 2022. 

The group said its latest fundraising haul marks a record for the organization and was largely made up of first-time donors. 

“Democratic governors work every day to strengthen and protect our democracy, and make progress for the people they represent,” the group’s executive director, Noam Lee, said in a statement. “That’s why we are seeing record levels of interest and support from Americans across the country.” 

The group’s GOP counterpart, the Republican Governors Association (RGA), has not yet released its first-quarter fundraising data, but it has recently hit its own fundraising records. 

In January, the RGA announced it raised more than $75 million in 2021. The DGA said it raised $73 million in 2021.

Republicans stand to have an advantage over Democrats up and down the ballot going into the midterm elections, with President Biden’s approval rating sinking and inflation rising. 

Republicans hold 20 of the gubernatorial seats up for grabs later this year, compared with 16 for Democrats.

The GOP is aiming to go on offense in Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, while Democrats have their sights on the governor’s mansions in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts and Texas.