Ryan raises $11 million in first months of 2018
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) banked more than $11 million in the first quarter of 2018 as he looks to boost House Republican coffers and build a massive war chest for his own reelection.
Ryan also transferred $8 million to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), House Republicans’ campaign arm, in monthly installments over the three-month quarter. The NRCC is looking at defending dozens of vulnerable incumbents from a Democratic push to take back the House majority in November’s midterm elections.
The haul brings Ryan’s fundraising total this cycle to $54 million, $40 million of which he’s given to the NRCC.
{mosads}”Thanks to the Speaker’s tireless efforts, our members and candidates across the country will have the resources they need this fall to tout how our agenda is allowing the economy to grow and families to keep more of what they earn,” said Kevin Seifert, the executive director of Ryan’s fundraising operation.
“While Democrats still have no coherent 2018 message, Republicans are united, have a clear platform to run on, and because of Speaker Ryan, they will be able to organize strong campaigns.”
The news comes days after his allied super PAC, the Congressional Leadership Fund, announced it had $25 million banked away for the midterms after raising $15 million in the first quarter of this year.
That money will be essential, as Democrats have more than kept pace with fundraising. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee outraised the NRCC in 2018, and dozens of Democratic challengers outraised Republican incumbents in the final quarter of 2017. That fundraising advantage has given Democrats optimism that their enthusiasm advantage will help the party make gains in the fall.
On top of his broader efforts to help the GOP, Ryan’s team also announced that he has more than $10.5 million banked away for his own reelection bid. That figure — the largest campaign account of any House incumbent — comes as Ryan faces a stronger challenge than he has in years.
Ironworker Randy Bryce, the front-runner in the Democratic primary in Ryan’s district, has posted strong fundraising figures and has about $2.3 million banked away through March. He’s built a national brand with a series of viral campaign videos and has been vocally critical of Ryan throughout the campaign.
Bryce is running against school board member Cathy Myers, who sits at a significant fundraising disadvantage to the Bryce and has accused him of not prioritizing local issues.
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