House Democrats’ campaign arm outraised its Republican counterpart in 2021, with fundraising records for each party setting the stage for an expensive battle for the lower chamber.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) said Friday that it had raised $39.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2021 — the best off-year quarter in committee history — and $146 million total for the entire year. The DCCC also finished 2021 with $82.5 million in the bank.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), meanwhile, raised about $35 million in the final quarter of 2021 and $140 million for the whole year. The NRCC also finished 2021 with $78.2 million cash on hand.
“The numbers speak for themselves. Voters want to see Democrats hold the House majority so we can keep delivering on the issues that matter most to Americans: good-paying jobs, supply chain solutions, and lowering prices,” said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), the DCCC’s chair. “With President Biden and Speaker Pelosi’s leadership, Democrats head into the election year with strong financial support and trust from the American people.”
The competing fundraising hauls announced at the start of the midterm year come as Republicans eye favorable odds to oust Democrats from their narrow majority in the House.
Republicans must flip a net of just five seats to retake the chamber, and signs are growing that that goal is increasingly within reach for the GOP.
President Biden’s approval rating has nosedived, hitting 33 percent in a recent survey, and the generic congressional ballot shows Republicans with a consistent edge over Democrats.
Republicans are also on offense on issues like inflation, the still-raging coronavirus pandemic and last year’s violent withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“Voters are ready to put an end to Democrat policies that have led to skyrocketing crime, rising prices, and open borders,” Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), the NRCC’s chair, said in a statement Thursday.