The Democratic National Committee’s finance director is leaving her role with the party amid its continuing fundraising woes.
The DNC announced on Thursday that Emily Mellencamp Smith, who joined the party in June, would no longer serve in that position. The DNC continues to trail the Republican National Committee in fundraising this year, a reality that has caused frustration among Democrats ahead of pivotal elections next week and next year.
“We are grateful for Emily Mellencamp Smith’s work to help build a fundraising team that will raise the funds to win in 2017, 2018 and beyond,” spokesman Michael Tyler said in a statement.
“Emily is going back to consulting and helping elect Democrats in upcoming races, including staying on in a consulting role for the DNC at this time.” {mosads}
The DNC has been slow to get its fundraising operation back into gear after the 2016 presidential election left a power vacuum at the organization. DNC members narrowly elected former Labor Secretary Tom Perez the party’s new chairman in late February, inheriting a finance team of just three people.
But while the party worked to build out the team to its full capacity of 30, Democrats remained outgunned. As of the end of September, the DNC had just $7 million in the bank and remained $3.8 million in debt after raising $51 million this year.
By comparison, the RNC has $44 million in its bank account after raising $104 million this year and carries no debts.