House Democrats’ campaign arm outraises GOP counterpart in third quarter

House Democrats’ campaign arm outraised its Republican counterpart in the third quarter as fundraising ramps up in the 2022 midterm cycle. 

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) announced in a statement that it hauled in $35.8 million in the third quarter of 2021, including nearly $14.5 million in September, marking its best off-year third quarter in committee history. Meanwhile, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) said Thursday that it brought in $25.8 million from July through September. 

The DCCC is heading into the final quarter of 2021 with nearly $63 million cash on hand, $26 million more than the DCCC had at the same point in the 2020 cycle. The NRCC had $65 million in the bank going into October.

“We’re winning on fundraising because our supporters know just how dangerous it would be for the country if Republicans were in charge. The stakes are high and we believe voters will reject their dangerous vision for America, which is about pushing junk science while Americans die despite access to life-saving vaccines, openly attacking our elections, and allowing women’s rights to be rolled away,” said DCCC Chairman Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (N.Y.).

“House Democrats and Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi [D-Calif.] have stood firm in our fight building a more prosperous and inclusive nation and American voters see that.”

Democrats are clinging onto a razor-thin majority in the House and are expected to face headwinds in maintaining control of the lower chamber. The party in the White House typically loses ground in Congress in the first midterm of a new administration, and redistricting alone could net Republicans the seats needed to take the House.

Democrats are hoping they’ll enjoy a jolt of enthusiasm if they’re able to pass President Biden’s infrastructure and social spending bills, but intraparty divides have hindered progress on the two pieces of legislation.

Meanwhile, Republicans are hammering their opponents on the continued spread of COVID-19, inflation and the administration’s messy withdrawal from Afghanistan, among other things.