A couple dozen House Republicans who are likely to be in competitive races in 2024 hauled in more campaign donations on average than their vulnerable House Democrat counterparts in the third quarter, according to an analysis from Hotline.
James A. Downes, a Hotline Congressional race correspondent, reported that these Republicans, on average, took in $157,000 more than Democrats, who will be in their own competitive races against GOP challengers:
The 29 “Frontline” Democrats—those rated by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as most vulnerable—raised an average of $482,000 and entered the fourth quarter with an average of just under $1.1 million on hand.
The 25 National Republican Congressional Committee “Patriots,” the most endangered Republicans, raised an average of $639,000 and finished the quarter with an average of $1.6 million cash on hand.
Will Reinert, the National Press Secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), weighed in on fundraising numbers in a release.
“Money builds majorities, and Republican candidates continue to do everything needed to win next November,” he said.
Downes noted that Republicans who represent districts that Biden won in 2020 and Democrats who represent districts former President Donald Trump won are more closely aligned in the median hauls than the full sample of 54 incumbents. However, this group of Republicans carries the trend of having more cash on hand than Democrats:
Five Democrats represent districts former President Trump carried in 2020. They raised an average of $602,000, with an average of nearly $1.2 million cash on hand. Seventeen Republicans representing seats President Biden won raised an average of $573,000 and ended the quarter with nearly $1.6 million on hand. Republican Rep. George Santos of New York—who recently received another 10 indictments related to identity theft—was not included in this list, but he reported a paltry -$16,500 in receipts thanks to thousands in contributor refunds.
It comes as multiple Freshman House Republicans had strong fundraising showings in the second quarter, as NBC News noted. Moreover, House Republicans in competitive districts bested vulnerable Democrats in the first fundraising quarter, as Axios reported, though it analyzed 39 House incumbents’ fundraising totals rather than the 54 that Hotline did.
“On average, the Republicans raised $686,075, while the Democrats brought in $404,687,” noted Axios’s Josh Krausshner and Andrew Solendar in April.
The House of Representatives has been without a Speaker of the House for nearly two weeks, as now-former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was removed via a motion to vacate brought by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) took 200 votes on his ballot for the top House position on Tuesday, which is shy of the 217 he needs to secure the gavel. Speaker Pro-Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) then declared a recess subject to the call of the chair.
HISTORIC: House Votes to Remove Kevin McCarthy from Speakership
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