House Democrats’ campaign arm raises over $22.6 million in August

House Democrats’ campaign arm raised more than $22.6 million in August as the party works to defend its hold on the lower chamber.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) said in a statement shared first with The Hill that it currently has $104.7 million cash on hand — nearly $35 million more than it did at the same point in 2018 — and has raised $248.8 million so far this cycle. Last month was the DCCC’s best August on record, surpassing its last record for the month by more than $7 million.

Of the total haul last month, $17.2 million came from grassroots donations, and $8.2 million came from phone and mail-based fundraising efforts. The average online contribution last month was $23.

“The grassroots are fed up with Washington Republicans’ attacks on their health care, especially during a pandemic – and they’re responding with an unprecedented investment in protecting and expanding the House Democratic majority,” DCCC Chair Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) said.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the DCCC’s GOP counterpart, has not yet released its August fundraising. At the end of the July, the DCCC had more than $30 million cash on hand as the NRCC.

The fundraising haul shows the DCCC is in a stronger financial situation than at the same point in 2018, the year in which the “blue wave” handed Democrats majority of the House. The group had nearly $70 million on hand heading into September 2018, and prognosticators say the party is expected to hold onto the chamber this year.

The DCCC has continued funneling its money into a ramped-up advertising campaign to boost incumbents and Democratic challengers in some of the tightest districts in the country. The group announced last month it was reserving a total of $3.8 million worth of ads in six House districts and followed up Tuesday with $2.6 million in ads in nine more.

Prior to Tuesday’s reservations, the DCCC had reserved $36 million in airtime in television markets that cover 31 Republican-held districts, as well as 42 of the most vulnerable Democratic lawmakers. 

The DCCC’s August haul is another indicator Democrats up and down the ballot are ramping up their fundraising as Election Day nears. Former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign announced last week that it and the Democratic National Committee pulled in a combined $364.5 million in August, setting a new monthly record. 

President Trump’s reelection campaign has not disclosed its August haul yet, and reports have suggested it is facing a fundraising crunch. The president said Tuesday he will invest his own money in his reelection campaign if he deems it necessary, though campaign manager Bill Stepien also said that money will not be a problem down the stretch.