RNC puts additional $8M in Senate races

The Republican National Committee plans to spend an additional $8 million in battleground states in an attempt to boost Republicans’ chances of taking back the Senate. 

The money will go toward more staff, voter contact and technology as Republicans fight to net six seats in the midterm elections, less than 70 days away.

{mosads}RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said outside money being poured into competitive states is helpful to supplement party and candidate spending. But it is less effective, he argued.   

“Party money — both sides — candidate money is gold,” he said on MSNBC Thursday morning. “The outside money can be valuable, but it has a very much more limited use.”

Last week, the RNC announced it had already invested $49 million this cycle and expected to surpass $90 million. It has raised $140 million this cycle, including $8.4 million in July. 

The GOP committee had $13.9 million cash on hand at the end of July.  

Priebus made the announcement of additional spending in a fundraising pitch to supporters as the August filing deadline approaches. He did not say how the money would be spent by state.

“A recent analysis of the most competitive Senate races shows that things are still too close to call,” Priebus wrote in the email.