Dem campaign chairman drops $150K for committee

New Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Ben Ray Lujan (N.M.) is pushing his colleagues to meet their fundraising goals early — and is leading by example by plunking down $150,000.

{mosads}Lujan will announce at a Democratic breakfast Wednesday morning that he’s already given that sum to the DCCC and will push other members of the caucus to do the same.

The move is designed to put pressure on rank-and-file Democrats to pay their dues early on. While most in leadership usually hit their goals early on — that’s part of how they got into leadership in the first place — some committee chairmen and many rank-and-file members have been slow to help out the party.

“Chairman Lujan is already leading by example. He’s putting together a robust fundraising operation to help Democrats pick up seats this cycle,” said a House Democratic official.

Lujan also plans to talk up early Democratic recruits for open seats in New York and Pennsylvania.

Fundraising goals have yet to be announced for the election cycle, but Lujan’s transfer is one third of the $450,000 in dues the DCCC chairman was expected to raise last cycle. Dues ranged from $800,000 for top Democratic officials to $125,000 for rank-and-file members during the 2014 cycle.

The direct contributions are only a part of the dues requirements. Most members of leadership are expected to raise additional millions for the committee, with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Lujan expected to lead the way with goals that will likely be in the tens of millions.

House Democrats finished the 2014 election cycle carrying more than $12 million in debt, despite outraising the National Republican Congressional Committee during the cycle. Part of their cash edge was due to better support from members, though their cash edge was more than erased by GOP-friendly outside groups and super-PACs as Republicans expanded their House majority.