The money chase between Democrats and Republicans in the House is cranking into high gear ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm for House Democrats, announced Thursday that it raised close to $14.5 million in September and $35.8 million over the third quarter of the year, marking its best off-year September haul and best off-year third quarter in committee history.
Meanwhile, the National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm for House Republicans, also emerged with bragging rights. It raised $12.2 million in September, marking its best off-year September haul, and $25.8 million in the third quarter.
The NRCC finished with $65 million cash on hand, giving it a slight edge over the DCCC, which finished with $63 million.
“Voters are ready to fire [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi and hold the failed Biden Administration accountable,” NRCC Chairman Tom Emmer said in a statement. “House Democrats are sprinting toward the exits because they know their days in the majority are numbered and we look forward to keeping up the pressure.”
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, chair of the DCCC, had a different take.
“We’re winning on fundraising because our supporters know just how dangerous it would be for the country if Republicans were in charge,” Mr. Maloney said. “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.”
Midterm elections tend to be tough on the sitting president’s party. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump learned that lesson the hard way.
Democrats suffered what Mr. Obama described as a “shellacking” in 2010, when Republicans gained a net of 63 seats and took control of the House.
The shoe was on the other foot in 2018, when Democrats, riding anti-Trump fury, won back control of the House after picking up a net of 41 seats.
The campaign arm for Senate Republicans last week also had a big fundraising score, raising $25 million over the last three months.
The National Republican Senate Committee said it now has more than $27 million cash on hand, and said it has brought in $76.2 million over the course of the year — more than its entire fundraising haul in 2019.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the campaign arm for Senate Democrats, has yet to release its latest numbers.
Republican officials say they see a good chance the party can reclaim control of both the Senate and House in the November 2022 midterm elections.
The latest report from the DSCC, released last month, showed it had raised $59 million for the year and had $10.5 million cash on hand.
The Senate is shaping up to be more of an uphill battle for Republicans because a number of the high-profile races are playing out in states that President Biden carried in 2020 and that have been trending Democratic.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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