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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House Democrats Outraise GOP Counterparts by $1.3M in February

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee outraised the National Republican Congressional Committee in February and ended the month with more money in the bank.

The DCCC took in $6.3 million in February to the NRCC’s $5 million haul. The DCCC had $7.6 million in cash on hand as of the end of last month, while the NRCC had only $4.4 million.

The NRCC had slightly less debt though: $10 million to the DCCC’s $10.9 million. The DCCC announced its fundraising totals earlier on Wednesday.

The DCCC also outraised the NRCC in January.

DCCC Raised $6.3 Million in February

Steve Israel led the DCCC to raise $6.3 million last month. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $6.3 million in February, ending last month with $7.6 million in cash on hand.

House Democrats’ campaign organization, charged with netting the 17 seats necessary to win control of the House, reported $10.9 million of debt at the end of February, according to figures provided by a DCCC official.

Fundraising numbers for the National Republican Congressional Committee were not immediately available.

Monthly fundraising reports for the committees are due to the Federal Election Commission on March 20.

In January, the DCCC outraised the NRCC by nearly $2 million.

South Carolina: Sanford, Colbert Busch Raise More Than $300,000

The large field of congressional hopefuls in South Carolina’s 1st District filed pre-primary fundraising reports this week — providing the first glimpse into the financial jockeying in the special election to replace Tim Scott, now a Republican senator.

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, the front-runner in the contest, raised $334,000 between Jan. 1 and Feb. 27. He ended the period with $365,000 in the bank. Sanford faces 15 other Republicans, some of whom also posted relatively strong fundraising periods, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

The filings come two weeks ahead of the March 19 primary. No candidate is expected to get more than 50 percent of the vote, setting up an April 2 runoff  — presumably between Sanford and another candidate. Fundraising for the other Republicans in the race was as follows:

• Teddy Turner, the son of TV mogul Ted Turner, took in $376,000 in receipts during the period, including a $245,000 contribution from himself.

• State Rep. Chip Limehouse took in $540,000, including a $400,000 personal loan. Full story

NRSC Raises Money Off Rand Paul Filibuster

The NRSC raised money off of Paul's filibuster (Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call)

The National Republican Senatorial Committee Wednesday launched a fundraising effort tied to Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul’s ongoing talking filibuster.

The organization charged with winning GOP control of the Senate in 2014 set up a special fundraising webpage, headlined “STAND WITH RAND!”

Paul has been attempting to filibuster the nomination of John O. Brennan to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The senator has held the floor for nearly 12 hours. A number of fellow senators, including those in the leadership of the NRSC, have come to show their support of Paul by asking him questions. That has given Paul a break from constantly speaking.

“NRSC Chairman Jerry Moran and Vice Chairman Ted Cruz went to the Senate floor today to join his filibuster,” the NRSC wrote on a fundraising page. “Please join them in standing with Rand!”

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Arkansas: Boehner to Fundraise for Tom Cotton

Cotton will have some fundraising help. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Speaker John A. Boehner will attend a Wednesday fundraiser for freshman Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., in Washington, D.C., CQ Roll Call has learned.

With his compelling biography, conservative credentials and fundraising prowess, Cotton is one of the highest-profile members of the freshman class.

“Cotton brings energy and enthusiasm to the House Republican Conference, and he’s definitely someone with leadership potential,” emailed a GOP aide, who confirmed the Boehner event was taking place.

The fundraiser with the Speaker will take place at the Capitol Hill Club on Wednesday evening.

Republicans on the other side of the Capitol complex have been giving Cotton attention too. Despite only having taken the oath of office last month, Republicans are recruiting him to run against Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., in 2014. Full story

Supreme Court Won’t Hear Contribution Limits Case

Advocates of campaign finance restrictions breathed a small sigh of relief Monday when the Supreme Court declined to take up a challenge to the ban on direct corporate contributions to candidates and political parties in a case known as U.S. v. Danielczyk.

The high court made news last week when it agreed to consider a separate challenge to the aggregate limit on how much an individual may donate to political parties, candidates and PACs in one election cycle. The court’s decision to take up that case, known as McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, had triggered speculation that direct campaign contribution restrictions may be in danger, too.

But the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the Danielczyk case, first reported by SCOTUSBlog, cheered defenders of political money regulations, who’ve been playing defense since the court’s landmark 2010 ruling to throw out long-standing limits on independent corporate and union spending.

The Campaign Legal Center applauded the decision not to take up U.S. v. Danielczyk, which turned on criminal allegations that donors had directed illegal corporate contributions to Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign.

The decision “does nothing to mitigate the court’s disturbing decision last week to revisit the aggregate contributions passed in the wake of the Watergate scandals,” which, if reversed, would enable individuals to make aggregate donations into the millions, Campaign Legal Center Senior Counsel Tara Malloy said in a statement. “But at least today the court has decided to stay its deregulatory hand.”

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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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.

Supreme Court to Take Up Contribution Limits Challenge

(Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

In a move with significant campaign finance implications, the Supreme Court has agreed to consider a challenge to the aggregate limit on how much an individual may donate to political players each election cycle.

In McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, the Republican National Committee has joined an Alabama man in challenging the limits that block an individual from giving more than $46,200 to candidates as a whole and more than $70,800 collectively to parties and political action committees in any two-year election cycle.

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DCCC Raised More Than NRCC in January

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised more than the National Republican Congressional Committee by almost $2 million in January.

The DCCC raised $6.1 million to the NRCC’s $4.4 million in the first month of 2013.

The House Democrats’ campaign arm ended the month with $4.6 million in cash on hand but had $12.6 million in debt at the end of last month.

The NRCC had $2.8 million in the bank but posted less debt — $11 million — at the same time.

A DCCC aide said it was the best January fundraising in the committee’s history.

In 2014, House Democrats must net 17 seats to win control of their chamber.

NRCC Raised $4.4 Million in January

The National Republican Congressional Committee raised $4.4 million in January, Stivers announced Wednesday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The National Republican Congressional Committee raised $4.4 million in January.

Ohio Rep. Steve Stivers, the committee’s vice chairman for finance, made the announcement Wednesday morning to the House Republican Conference, which responded with cheers, according to a source in the room.

Stivers told House Republicans it was the NRCC’s best haul for a January in an odd-numbered year since 2007.

The NRCC ended last month with $2.8 million in cash on hand.The committee paid off $1 million of its debt in January, leaving it $11 million in debt at the end of that month.

At the conference meeting, a number of members announced sizable donations to the NRCC. Rep. John Campbell of California said he was giving more than $250,000 to the committee.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has not yet released its January fundraising numbers, which are not due to Federal Election Commission until next week.

Walker to Headline NRCC Dinner March 20

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker will headline House Republicans’ major fundraising dinner March 20.

Walker, who has been hailed as the conservative, collective-bargaining-busting hero, will deliver the keynote address at the National Republican Congressional Committee’s annual event at the National Building Museum.

Rep. Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., chairman of the dinner, will work with Walker and other members on fundraising.

In 2012, South Carolina Gov. Nikki R. Haley headlined the dinner, which brought in a hefty $12 million.

The news of Walker headlining the dinner was first reported by Yahoo News.

New Jersey: Lautenberg Raised $11,000 in 4th Quarter of 2012

Lautenberg raised about $11,000 in the fourth quarter of 2012. (Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call)

Democratic Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg raised just more than $11,000 in the final three months of 2012 — a paltry total for any incumbent preparing to seek re-election.

Lautenberg, who has not said yet whether he will seek a sixth term, reported $182,000 in the bank, according to his year-end fundraising report filed with the Federal Election Commission last week.

Lautenberg is one of the wealthiest members of Congress and has previously self-funded his own re-election to the tune of seven figures. The New Jersey Democrat also posted meager fundraising at the start of his last race in the 2008 cycle, but he loaned $1 million to seed his campaign in December 2006.

Latuenberg’s small haul will continue to fuel questions about whether the 89-year-old plans to run for re-election. Lautenberg faces a tough Democratic primary challenge from Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who announced last month that he is exploring a bid for the seat. Democrats are expected to hold the seat in 2014.

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Alaska: Begich Raised $336K in 4th Quarter

Begich has almost $1 million in cash on hand for the start of the campaign cycle. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Democratic Sen. Mark Begich brought in more than $300,000 in the fourth quarter, giving him almost $1 million in cash on hand to kick off his 2014 re-election campaign cycle.

Begich is one of six Senate Democrats seeking re-election in a state the president lost last year, making him one of his party’s most vulnerable members of the cycle. Roll Call rates this race as a Tossup.

Several Republicans are taking serious looks at challenging him in 2014. Potential GOP opponents include Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, who said in December that he formed an exploratory committee for the race, and 2010 Senate nominee Joe Miller.

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