Senate Dems Raise Almost Twice as Much as GOP in March

By Greg Giroux
CQ Staff

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) reported raising $8.2 million in March, compared to $4.2 million for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). Both organizations are intensifying their fundraising efforts as they prepare for this fall’s Senate campaigns.

The DSCC, which is defending the Democratic Party’s operational 51-49 majority, began April with $37.8 million cash on hand, compared to $17.3 million for the NRSC. That wide gap is a little larger than it was at this point two years ago, when Republicans were defending a 55-45 majority seven months before the Democrats made a net gain of six seats — in part because the DSCC had the financial resources to wage very well-funded campaigns against some vulnerable Republican incumbents.

The DSCC’s cash advantage is but one reason why it appears that the Democrats will retain their majority in the November elections — and probably increase it. The Republicans are the defending party in 23 states, including five in which a Republican senator is retiring; the Democrats are the incumbent party in just 12 states, and all of their senators whose seats are up this year are seeking new terms. More Republican senators are at risk of losing their seats than Democratic senators.

The Senate reports indicate that the Democrats continue to outperform their Republican counterparts in attracting money from senators, who are permitted to transfer unlimited sums to national party committees from their personal campaign committees. Though their contributions amounted to a small percentage of the DSCC’s overall receipts, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Ron Wyden of Oregon each transferred $100,000 to the Senate Democrats’ political arm in March. Pryor is up for re-election this year, but the Republicans are not fielding a candidate to oppose him.

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