Parties Raising Big Money for Senate Races

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Parties Raising Big Money for Senate Races
By Greg Giroux, CQ Staff


Democrats continued their fundraising dominance over Republicans in November, at least in the two national party committees that are recruiting donors for the most competitive of the 35 Senate races on November’s ballots.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) outraised the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), $4.2 million to $2.4 million, according to reports of November fundraising activity that were filed last week with the Federal Election Commission.

The DSCC has raised more money than the NRSC in every month this year, and this year raised $49.3 million — or more than $20 million ahead of the NRSC, which reported $28.7 million in year-to-date receipts through the end of November. The DSCC had $23.4 million left to spend at the end of the month, compared to $10.4 million for the GOP Senate campaign organization.

The Senate Democrats’ financial success is not unexpected, given that the Democrats are strongly favored to end the 2008 election cycle with more seats than the 51 that they operationally control today (the 49 Senate Democrats enjoy majority status because independents Bernard Sanders of Vermont and Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut align with them for organizational purposes).

While the NRSC has raised far less money than its Democratic counterpart, it has been steadily building up a treasury of campaign funds with frugality. The NRSC has spent $18.4 million this year, by far the lowest of the six national party committees. The NRSC’s $10.4 million, while less than half the DSCC’s cash-on-hand total, is larger than the $9.2 million the NRSC had at the end of November 2005, when they seemed much more likely to win a majority of seats in the upcoming election than they are today.

The DSCC made a loan repayment of $500,000 in November, lowering its debts to $2 million. The NRSC is debt-free.

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC)

• November 2007 receipts: $4.2 million

• Cycle-to-date receipts: $49.3 million

• November 2007 expenditures: $2.1 million

• Cycle-to-date expenditures: $23.9 million

• Cash on hand, Nov. 30: $25.5 million

• Debts, Nov. 30: $2 million

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