The Hill’s Campaign Report — Midterm candidates rake in cash

Welcome to The Hill’s Campaign Report, tracking all things related to the 2022 midterm elections. You can expect this newsletter in your inbox each week leading up to November’s election. 

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HAPPY FEC FILING WEEK!

It’s that time of the quarter again! Federal campaigns are filing their quarterly reports and breaking records.

In the Senate, Democratic incumbents and some challengers are dominating the fundraising race. Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly (D), posted an $11.3 million haul during the first quarter, while Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto (D) reported raising $4.4 million during the same time period. And across the country in New Hampshire, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D) brought in $4.3 million.

Senate Democrats say the hauls show their candidates are at an advantage over their GOP Senate challengers, who are working to get through contentious intraparty contests and not raking in as much cash.

Senate races heat up: And it’s not just the Democratic incumbents who are bringing in the dough. Florida Rep. Val Demings (D) raised a massive $10 million during the first quarter, while Cheri Beasley, who is running in North Carolina’s Senate race, reported raising over $3.6 million during the period.

But Senate Republicans are also seeing fundraising gains of their own. The National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee (NRSC) raised a whopping $43 million during the first quarter. The committee also said it raised $13.28 million during the month of March. The haul marked the most the GOP committee has raised during any past March or first quarter.

House Dems see dollar signs: It’s a different story in the House. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) posted a huge $52.4 million haul during the first quarter, outraising the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee (NRCC) by over $11.5 million.

However, it’s not like Republicans are behind in the cash game on all fronts. GOP outside groups and PACs have dominated their Democratic counterparts in the money race this cycle. The Congressional Leadership Fund announced last week it raised $37.5 million in the first quarter of the year, while House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) reported raising $31.5 million in the same period. On the Democratic side, outside groups House Majority PAC and House Majority Forward raked in more than $16 million during the first quarter.

Down-ballot bonanza: Further down the ballot, state-level Republicans and Democrats are also raked in cash in the first quarter. The Hill first reported on Monday that the The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) and its strategic partner the State Government Leadership Foundation raised $10.1 million during the period. Meanwhile, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), said last week it raised more than $6.5 million.  

COUNTDOWN

209 days until the 2022 midterm elections

JUST ANNOUNCED

Former President Donald Trump is set to hold a rally in Ohio later this month, raising questions about whether he’s nearing an endorsement in the state’s chaotic Republican Senate primary.

It’s not clear whether he’ll invite any of the seven candidates vying for the nomination to speak at the event. But each has heavily courted Trump’s support in the race, seeing it as a ticket to victory in the primary.

More on the rally here. 

Republicans are moving deeper into Democratic territory.

Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), the main super PAC aligned with House Republican leadership, added seven candidates to its “Trailblazers Fund,” endorsing GOP hopefuls in Democratic-leaning House districts that President Biden carried by an average of 8 points in 2020.

ON THE TRAIL

Here’s the list:

AZ-04: Tanya Wheeless 

NV-03: April Becker 

NY-18: Colin Schmitt  

NY-19: Marc Molinaro 

PA-08: Jim Bognet 

TX-28: Cassy Garcia 

TX-34: Mayra Flores 

 
Why it matters: While a few of these districts, like PA-08 and TX-34, are seen as true battlegrounds, the decision to back candidates in places like AZ-04 – where Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) is running for reelection – is the latest move by Republicans to expand their offensive opportunities in a midterm year that’s already looking good for the GOP.

It’s also worth noting that the decennial redistricting process has left a much smaller battleground map for both parties. McCarthy acknowledged that reality last month on the sidelines of House Republicans’ retreat in Florida:  “The play this time — there’s fewer competitive seats of the old nature, so we’re going to have to be winning seats in Democrats’ areas.” 

2024 WATCH

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley is headed to Iowa in June for the Dubuque Regional Reception, a person familiar with the planning confirmed to The Hill.

News of her visit to the first-in-the-nation caucus state came just days after the rumored 2024 presidential candidate traveled to New Hampshire, the first-in-the-nation primary state, to campaign for House candidate and former Trump administration staffer Matt Mowers.

Haley unveiled a political action committee last January, but the former South Carolina governor has said she will not mount a bid for the White House if former President Trump runs — and No. 45 has not yet made a public decision on his plans for the presidential next cycle.

IOWA BALLOT DRAMA

The Iowa Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments today in the case involving former Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa) and her quest to appear on the Democratic primary ballot for Senate.

A judge ruled on Sunday that Finkenauer, who is running for the seat currently held by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), cannot appear on the Democratic primary ballot because she did not meet a signature requirement, reversing an earlier decision that allowed her name to be listed. The case began when two registered Republicans filed objections to the ex-congresswoman’s nomination petition, pointing to issues with three signature lines where the date was in question — one of the dates appeared to be incorrect, and another was blank.

Expected challenge: Finkenauer on Monday said she would challenge the decision, calling the judge’s ruling “a massive gift to Washington Republicans.” In a statement released ahead of today’s oral arguments, Finkenauer said she is “confident” that the court “will follow the letter of the law and the spirit of our democratic process,” and claimed that Iowa law does not allow petition signatures to be invalidated if a date is missing.

Retired Navy Adm. Mike Franken and Minden City Councilman Glenn Hurst are also running for the Democratic nomination in the Hawkeye State. On the Republican side, Grassley is facing a primary challenge from state Sen. Jim Carlin as he vies for his eighth term in the upper chamber. 

NEW PLAN ROLLOUT

Wisconsin Senate candidate Alex Lasry (D) rolled out his plan to strengthen rural economies in the Badger State today. The plan includes a number measures including encouraging remote work, expanding broadband, investing in rural legal representation, and protecting public lands.

“This plan at its core is about investing more in our rural, working families. We all know Wisconsin families right now are struggling with rising costs – and my plan will have a direct effect on easing supply chain problems, help lower inflationary pressure on prices, and help create more jobs in every part of the state,” Lasry said in a statement.

You can read the full plan here.

AD WATCH

Cheri Beasley’s campaign released its first statewide ad of the cycle in North Carolina this morning. You can watch the 30-second spot here.

ICYMI

Max is out with a story looking at how Trump is apparently slow-walking an endorsement of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s 2022 reelection bid.  

From Max: “Since leaving Washington last year, Trump has issued a long, if not sporadic, list of endorsements that includes other prospective presidential hopefuls such as South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.).

But absent from that list so far is DeSantis, a steadfast Trump ally and rising conservative political star who is seen as a front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nod, especially in the event that Trump decides against another run for the White House. It’s unclear exactly why Trump hasn’t issued an endorsement in his adopted home state’s gubernatorial race. One Republican donor suggested that the former president may be holding back because DeSantis hasn’t yet pledged to defer to Trump should he run again in 2024.”

You can find the full story here. 

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading and check out The Hill’s Campaign page for the latest news and coverage. See you next week.