DSCC Raises $500,000 From Ryan Budget Affront

Michael Bennet is the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $500,000 in its recent campaign attacking House Republicans — and possible Senate candidates — for supporting Rep. Paul D. Ryan’s budget blueprint, according to fundraising figures provided exclusively to CQ Roll Call.

“Through targeted online ads, grassroots petitioning, and direct appeals, online and grassroots donors have gone above and beyond what they’ve ever done this early in the cycle since Republicans said they would reintroduce a more draconian version of the Ryan plan,” DSCC Digital Director Jason Rosenbaum said in an emailed statement.

The DSCC took a page from House Democrats’ playbook last week when they attacked specific House Republicans for supporting Ryan’s budget. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has leveled these kinds of attack lines for years on television, and it’s not clear they proved effective on Election Day.

However, attacking the Ryan budget continues to be lucrative among the Democratic Party’s base — especially in online fundraising.

The vast majority — 85 percent — of the DSCC’s recent fundraising campaign against the Ryan budget came in online, while the committee raised the rest via phones, according to a DSCC aide. Mostly low-dollar contributions made up the haul taken in March 7-15.

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DSCC Attacks House Republicans Eyeing the Senate in ’14

Democrats will work to tie Republicans to Ryan's new budget blueprint. (Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

With House Budget Chairman Paul D. Ryan set to release his new budget on Tuesday, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee warned House Republicans eyeing Senate races that it will use their votes for the plan against them in paid media.

On Monday, DSCC Executive Director Guy Cecil and Democratic pollster Geoff Garin told reporters that the Wisconsin Republican’s previous budget plan hurt GOP Senate candidates last year. Cecil said that all of the post-election analysis has overlooked that fact in favor of a focus on the GOP’s candidate quality problem, polling inaccuracies and, according to the DSCC, faulty messaging.

“We’ll be launching an online media campaign to educate voters on Facebook and other social media,” Cecil said. “We’ll be launching an email campaign to engage our volunteers and our donors in this fight. And really this is the first in several steps to hold Republicans accountable on the air, on the ground, in the mail and online.”

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DSCC Raised Millions More Than NRSC in January

Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran is chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised just $1.5 million in January, according to its most recent fundraising report.

That’s significantly less than the $4.2 million the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee brought in last month.

The DSCC reported it had $3 million in the bank at the end of January, while the NRSC reported slightly more — $3.3 million — cash on hand at the same time.

But while the NRSC reported $10 million in debt, the DSCC had much more — $15.7 million — in arrears, according to its fundraising report.

The NRSC did not hire senior staff until Jan. 30, part of reason behind the committee’s meager fundraising.

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Shop Talk: DSCC Picks Caprara as Political Director

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee officials plan to name Anne Caprara as their political director for the 2014 cycle Thursday.

“Anne is a rising star in the Democratic Party and I’m pleased that she is returning as a member of our team for the 2014 cycle,” DSCC Executive Director Guy Cecil said in a statement. “We know the challenges that we face this time around and it’s not going to be easy — but battle tested talent like Anne who knows what it takes to build strong campaigns will be one of the reasons we hold the Senate.”

Caprara served as the committee’s deputy political director during the 2012 cycle. She has also been a top aide to former Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Ohio, and has worked for EMILY’s List, an advocacy group promoting female Democratic candidates who support abortion rights.

Check out more of the committee’s hires for the 2014 cycle here.

DSCC Raised $4.2M in January

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $4.2 million in January, a strong kickoff to what appears to be a challenging election cycle.

After picking up two seats in November, Democrats entered the 2014 election cycle with a 55-45 Senate majority and $3 million in the bank as of Jan. 30. Despite the added cushion, the party faces a lopsided landscape that put its control of the chamber in jeopardy next year, if Republicans can capitalize. Democrats are defending 21 seats, compared with 14 for the GOP.

The committee released its fundraising figures Wednesday, when monthly reports were due to the Federal Election Commission. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is still revving up for the cycle under new leadership, had not yet announced its monthly fundraising.

The DSCC did not release the amount of debt it has left over from last cycle, and neither committee’s report was available by press time. As of Dec. 31, the DSCC carried $16 million in debt and the NRSC owed $10 million.

Obama to Fundraise for House, Senate Committees

Updated: 1:09 p.m. | President Barack Obama will hold at least 14 fundraisers this year to support Democratic efforts to take control of the House and keep the majority in the Senate.

They include five outside-D.C. events for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and five outside-D.C. events for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, along with separate and joint appearances for the committees in Washington, D.C.

As the country’s best fundraiser, Obama’s appearances will boost both committees as they stockpile resources this year for competitive races in 2014.

House Democrats must win a net of 17 seats to take the majority. Senate Republicans need to net six seats to take back control of that chamber.

The news of the Obama-led fundraisers is a particular boon for the DCCC, which will be primarily on offense this cycle. Obama-Biden 2012 Campaign Manager Jim Messina told DCCC Chairman Steve Israel of New York the good news earlier this week.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is also expected to do fundraising events for the DCCC.

The New York Times first reported the Obama fundraisers, which were confirmed to CQ Roll Call by a Democratic official.

Iowa: Harkin Retirement Sets Off Open-Seat Scramble in 2014

(Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Updated: 11:40 a.m. | Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin announced on Saturday that he will not seek a sixth term in the chamber. The news was first reported by the Associated Press.

“After 40 years, I just feel it’s somebody else’s turn,” Harkin said in a lengthy statement. “I don’t by any means plan to retire completely from public life at the end of this Congress. But I am going to make way for someone new in this Senate seat. I think that is right not just for me, but for Iowa, as well.”

Harkin, who is 73 years old, serves as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee as well as the Appropriations subcommittee that handles the budgets for many of the same agencies. He passed up a chance to become chairman of the full Appropriations Committee after the death of Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, late last year.

Harkin’s retirement sets off what is expected to be a highly competitive open-seat race in the swing state — one that is likely to feature two or more House members. Rep. Bruce Braley, who was exploring a run for governor, now tops the list of possible Democratic Senate candidates. Meanwhile, Republicans await word from two House members, Reps. Steve King and Tom Latham, on whether they will pursue the open seat. Full story

Campaign Committee Scorecard: Outlook for 2014

From left, DCCC Chairman Israel, NRCC Chairman Walden, DSCC Chairman Bennet and NRSC Chairman Moran

Congressional campaign committees have seen their financial influence wane in the past two cycles with the advent of super PACs. But make no mistake, these entities remain a powerful force in determining the playing field for the midterm elections.

While outside groups have replicated pieces of the campaign committees’ role — from recruitment to opposition research to candidate development — the campaign committees remain the top political clearinghouses for each party. Their involvement can still make or break a race.

In Roll Call’s new scorecard, we rate the challenges ahead for each committee this cycle, as well as how well-equipped each is to handle them.

West Virginia: Democrats Game Out Senate Primary

Sen. Jay Rockefeller is retiring. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

In the days after Sen. Jay Rockefeller announced his retirement, Democrats have been gaming out how a primary to replace him might play out.

The list of names circulating is so long it is mind-numbing. On Friday, both CQ Roll Call and The Charleston Gazette threw a number of new contenders into the mix. The Charleston paper wrote that former Gov. Gaston Caperton is “at the top of the list” of Democratic contenders. Whether he runs will influence the rest of the field, according to the paper.

But some Democrats have wondered whether he has been out of politics for too long — he left office in the late 1990s.

Because this is the first real open-seat Senate race in West Virginia since 1984, it should be expected that so many names have surfaced. But just because names are floating around does not mean they will make it to the ballot, especially when it comes to Democratic Senate primaries. Last cycle, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee made its candidate preferences known in several states and there were very few, if any, competitive Democratic Senate primaries.

So far, Mountain State operatives say the DSCC has not sent any signals.

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Iowa: Braley’s Gubernatorial Aspirations and Tea Leaves for Harkin’s Re-Election Decision

Iowa Democrats are publicly pushing for Braley to run for governor in the state's largest newspaper. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley has stepped up his interest in running for governor of Iowa in 2014, according to a weekend report in the Des Moines Register.

The four-term lawmaker has long eyed statewide office, but it has been unclear whether Braley would try to run for governor or Senate in 2014. Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad, a Republican, has not announced yet whether he will seek another term.

Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin has not said definitively whether he will run for re-election in 2014. But Braley’s focus on the gubernatorial race comes at a confluence of events that could indicate Harkin is leaning toward running for another term:

• Instead of keeping their powder dry this early in the cycle, Iowa Democrats are publicly pushing Braley to run for governor in the state’s largest newspaper. 
• Last week, Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, told a local newspaper, “I have seen no indication that [Harkin] is not going to run.” In recent years, Grassley and Harkin have not campaigned against each other — although neither has had a competitive re-election race for at least a decade.
• Harkin keeps bringing in big bucks for his campaign. He will host a fundraiser next month at a Lady Gaga concert. Politicians deplore fundraising, so members looking at retirement generally avoid raising money because they don’t need it anymore. Of course, it’s possible Harkin is a Lady Gaga fan.
• Either way, money talks — and Harkin reported $2.7 million in the bank at the end of September. That’s the second-highest cash on hand of any Democrat up for re-election in 2014. That kind of figure often — but not always — indicates a senator is gearing up for a big campaign.

So does all this point to Harkin running for a sixth term? Who knows — but it seems Braley and other Iowa Democrats might think so.

West Virginia: Democrats Begin Positioning to Run for Rockefeller’s Seat

Rahall is among the Democrats expected to consider running for Senate. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Updated 8:15 p.m. | Sen. Jay Rockefeller’s retirement announcement Friday formally kicked off a scramble among West Virginia Democrats, some of whom have been pining to run for an open Senate seat for decades.

Rockefeller thanked his staff and emphasized the progress that has been made on health care in his remarks in Charleston. But West Virginia politicos were absorbed with the future. At least some Democrats said they are relieved that Rockefeller is not running for a sixth term because of his alliance with President Barack Obama, who is very unpopular in the state. Full story

DSCC Announces New Hires, Returning Staff for 2014

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee announced several new additions to its staff for the 2014 midterm election cycle, as well as a few returning aides from 2012, to help the party hold its majority in the Senate.

Matt Canter, who served as communications director last cycle, was promoted to deputy executive director. Working under Executive Director Guy Cecil for a second straight cycle, Canter will serve as the top communications adviser and help manage message operations for all Democratic Senate campaigns. Full story

Report: Obama Campaign Restructure to Assist Policy Push in Second Term

A crowd celebrates in front of the White House to celebrate President Barack Obama's re-election on Election Night. (Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

President Barack Obama’s campaign is set to be reconfigured into an operation that will assist the White House’s policy goals in a second term, CNN reported on Thursday.

Citing a source familiar with the campaign, CNN reported that the operation could be converted to a 501(c)(4) or a super PAC. The restructured organization will be led by former Obama campaign manager Jim Messina and other top operatives from the campaign, including Stephanie Cutter and Jennifer O’Malley Dillon. Full story

Massachusetts: National Democrats Coalesce Behind Markey

National Democrats moved swiftly on Friday to close ranks behind Rep. Edward J. Markey as their candidate to run to succeed Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry upon his confirmation as the next secretary of State.

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Michael Bennet of Colorado released a statement endorsing Markey shortly after Kerry did the same on Friday afternoon.

“Ed Markey always remembers where he came from and will continue the hard work needed to turn our economy around,” Bennet said. “He is exactly the kind of leader Massachusetts needs in the U.S. Senate.” Full story

DSCC Chairman Bennet Named to Finance Committee

Sen. Michael Bennet will serve on the Finance Committee in the 113th Congress. (CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., has landed a coveted seat on the Senate Finance Committee after agreeing to serve as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Denver Post is reporting.

Finance is one of the top committees a member can serve on. The panel has jurisdiction over most legislation that runs through the Senate, making it a plum spot from which to fundraise, including from the banking and financial industries. Those connections could serve Bennet well as he raises money for the DSCC in advance of the 2014 elections.

Leadership on both sides of the aisle often use top committee assignments such as Finance as an incentive for reluctant would-be chairmen to agree to run their party’s campaign committee. One recent example is Sen. Patty Murray, D- Wash., who was named to the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee in late 2010, soon after committing to run the DSCC.