Senate GOP campaign arm outraises Democratic counterpart in July

The campaign arm for Senate Republicans outraised its Democratic counterpart in July as the two parties wage a fierce battle for control of the Senate.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) raised just over $15 million last month, according to a new filing with the Federal Election Commission, while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), hauled in over $13.1 million, according to figures shared first with The Hill. July was the NRSC’s best month of the 2020 cycle, while it was the DSCC’s best-ever July fundraising haul.

“Record fundraising has allowed us to define Democratic Senate candidates early, and we’ve seen their negatives skyrocket as a result,” tweeted NRSC spokesperson Jesse Hunt.

Another massive haul from @ToddYoungIN and the team at the @NRSC

Record fundraising has allowed us to define Democratic Senate candidates early, and we’ve seen their negatives skyrocket as a result https://t.co/R0asIbB32P

— Jesse Hunt (@JJHunt10) August 20, 2020

While the NRSC had a more successful July, the DSCC still has a wide cash-on-hand advantage, boasting a $40 million campaign account compared with $16.4 million for its GOP counterpart. The $23.6 million difference in cash reserves marks the largest cash-on-hand gap between the two bodies at any point in the 2020 cycle.

Nearly 77 percent of the DSCC’s fundraising in July came from grassroots donations online, on the phones and in the mail. The group also received a fundraising boost this month following the announcement of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as presidential nominee Joe Biden’s running mate, having four back-to-back days of its best online fundraising in committee history. 

“July was another record-breaking month and our momentum continued into August, with four consecutive record-breaking online fundraising days for the committee last week. Our grassroots donors are powering our work to flip the Senate,” DSCC Executive Director Scott Fairchild said in a statement to The Hill.

Election handicappers say Republicans and Democrats are locked in a dead heat for control of the Senate, with Democrats needing to gain a net of three or four seats to gain control of the chamber depending on who wins the White House.

Republicans are confident they will be able to knock off Alabama Sen. Doug Jones (D), their top flip opportunity, but the GOP is defending seats in a number of competitive states, including Arizona, Colorado, Maine, North Carolina, Iowa, Montana and Georgia.