Arizona: Martha McSally in D.C. for NRCC Candidate School

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Retired Air Force Colonel Martha McSally posted on her Facebook page over the weekend that “the entire AZ Republican Congressional delegation will host a meet and greet” for her Wednesday evening. She added that her campaign’s goal is to raise “another $315k” by Sept. 1.

“I arrived this evening in D.C for four days … [National Republican Congressional Committee] candidate school plus meetings with many people, members of Congress, and organizations,” she also wrote.

McSally is the presumptive GOP nominee to challenge Rep. Ron Barber (D) in the fall in the race for the new 2nd district.

Roll Call rates this race as Leans Democratic.

NRCC Tops DCCC in June Fundraising

UPDATED at 11:59 a.m. on Friday, July 20, 2012 | The National Republican Congressional Committee narrowly outraised the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in June. The NRCC posted $10.7 million in receipts compared with the DCCC’s $10.5 million.

The NRCC ended June with $41 million in cash on hand while the DCCC closed the month with $33.2 million in the bank.

The Republican committee’s fundraising total was bolstered last month by donations from top party leaders, including Speaker John Boehner (Ohio). Boehner transferred $2.1 million to the NRCC in June.

In May, the DCCC raised more than the NRCC, a flip from April, when House Republicans had the money edge.

In more detailed numbers provided by the committees to Roll Call on Friday morning, it appears the DCCC and the NRCC raised almost exactly the same amount in the second quarter. The DCCC beat the NRCC by only $16,000, pulling in $23.685 million to the NRCC’s $23.669 million.

New York: NRCC Ties Kathy Hochul to Obama in New Push

(Courtesy National Republican Congressional Committee)

The message is pretty clear.

On a billboard truck that has been driving around freshman Rep. Kathy Hochul’s upstate New York district, there’s a huge cartoon image of the Democratic Congresswoman and President Barack Obama side by side, and next to the word “Obamacare.”

It’s part of a paid political theater effort the National Republican Congressional Committee is launching today in an attempt to tie Hochul — generally well-liked — to Obama, who is very likely to lose the GOP-leaning district in November.

The weeklong effort is backed by five-figures worth of spending, but may be extended.

Full story

DCCC IE Backs John Barrow and Jim Matheson

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reserved airtime in Rep. Jim Matheson's district. (Scott J. Ferrell/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The independent expenditure of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reserved time in the districts of vulnerable Democratic Reps. Jim Matheson (Utah) and John Barrow (Ga.).

The DCCC reserved just less than $400,000 of time from Oct. 16 through Election Day in the Salt Lake City media market, covering Utah’s 4th district. Matheson faces a serious challenge there from Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love (R) in a district that will vote strongly for Republican Mitt Romney in the presidential race.

A recent poll showed Matheson leading. The National Republican Congressional Committee reserved $948,000 in that market. Full story

NRCC Locks In Third Clip of Young Guns

Maine Senate President Kevin Raye, who is running in the state's 2nd district, was one of seven candidates announced in a new round of the NRCC's Young Guns today. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The National Republican Congressional Committee today announced its third round of Young Guns — candidates who have reached the highest tier of the committee’s recruitment and candidate support program.

The seven new candidates are:

• Former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, running in Florida’s open 22nd district
• Attorney Ben Lange, running in Iowa’s 1st district against Rep. Bruce Braley (D)
• John Deere attorney John Archer, running in Iowa’s 2nd district against Rep. Dave Loebsack (D)
• State Senate President Kevin Raye, running in Maine’s 2nd district against Rep. Mike Michaud (D)
• State Public Service Commissioner Kevin Cramer, running in North Dakota’s open at-large seat
• Businessman Danny Tarkanian, running in Nevada’s open 4th district
• Former Erie County Executive Chris Collins, running New York’s 27th district against freshman Rep. Kathy Hochul (D)

Full story

Illinois: New 13th District GOP Nominee Rakes In More Than $400K

Republican Rodney Davis raised about $440,000 in the six weeks since he became his party’s new nominee for the open 13th district in Illinois.

Davis, a former top aide to Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), will report just more than $400,000 in cash on hand to kick off his bid, according to a source close to the campaign.

Full story

NRCC Hits California Dems in Ads; DCCC Robocalls on Health Care Repeal

The National Republican Congressional Committee will begin airing new ads Tuesday attacking California Democratic Reps. Lois Capps, John Garamendi and Jerry McNerney on the 2010 health care law, days after the Supreme Court ruled it to be constitutional.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee began live-calling and robocalling residents in 10 targeted districts, knocking mostly Republican incumbents for wanting to repeal the health care law.

NRCC Elevates Six Young Guns Candidates

The National Republican Congressional Committee has announced that six candidates have reached the committee’s “Contender” stage of the Young Guns program.

Four of those six are running in the same district: businesswoman Lisa Wilson-Foley, state Sen. Andrew Roraback, veteran Justin Bernier and real estate developer Mark Greenberg. All are vying for Connecticut’s 5th district GOP nomination.

The others are ex-Erie County Executive Chris Collins, who won a GOP primary Tuesday and is challenging Rep. Kathy Hochul (D) in New York’s 27th district, and former Rep. Charles Djou (R-Hawaii). He is challenging Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D), a rematch of their 2010 contest.

“These candidates have worked hard to meet the benchmarks that have been laid out before them and are determined to hold Washington Democrats accountable this November,” NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas) said.

The Contender level is the third of four steps to attaining Young Gun status at the NRCC.

Michigan: NRCC Meets Both Hopefuls for Thaddeus McCotter’s Seat

So, this is kind of awkward: Both GOP candidates running for Rep. Thaddeus McCotter’s (R) seat are in town to meet with the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Except one of them is on the primary ballot, and one of them isn’t. Full story

House GOP Makes Second Round of IE Buys

The National Republican Congressional Committee’s independent expenditure arm announced $5.7 million in new ad reservations across competitive races Tuesday. That amount included money in eight media markets, with more than $890,000 targeting vulnerable Democratic Rep. John Barrow in two Georgia markets.

Other NRCC media reservations include almost $1.7 million in San Diego that could help shore up Rep. Brian Bilbray and $1.6 million in Philadelphia that could be used to support freshman Rep. Jon Runyan (N.J.) or Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (Pa.).

Also part of the buy: almost $800,000 in two Michigan markets that cover freshman GOP Rep. Dan Benishek’s district, $437,000 in the Des Moines, Iowa, market covering the Member-vs.-Member race between Reps. Leonard Boswell (D) and Tom Latham (R), and $312,000 in the Youngstown, Ohio, market where Rep. Bill Johnson (R) has a competitive race.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reserved more ad time for the fall than its GOP counterpart. The DCCC had reserved $46.1 million compared with the NRCC’s $23.9 million as of Tuesday.

DCCC Outraises NRCC in May

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee outraised the National Republican Congressional Committee by $680,000 in May.

The DCCC raised $6.68 million last month and had $27.5 million in cash on hand. The NRCC raised $6 million in May and reported $33.8 million in cash on hand.

The official fundraising reports of both committees are due to the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday.

In April, the NRCC outraised the DCCC.

Arizona: Ron Barber Wins Special Election to Replace Gabrielle Giffords

(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Democrat Ron Barber, a staffer for ex-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, won the highly competitive Arizona special election to succeed his former boss Tuesday.

Barber defeated Republican Jesse Kelly, 53 percent to 45 percent, according to the Associated Press. Giffords, a Democrat, resigned in January in order to focus on her rehabilitation after an assassination attempt in January 2011. Barber was also seriously wounded in the shootings.

The victory means more than saving a single House seat for Democrats. On a personal level, it means Giffords’ chosen candidate will succeed her in Congress. On a national level, it gives Democrats some much-needed good news.

Full story

NRCC Names New Vanguard Candidates

The National Republican Congressional Committee announced today that four House candidates have moved up to the Vanguard level of the committee’s Young Guns program.

The newly upgraded candidates include attorney Tom Cotton, who is running for Arkansas’ 4th district; state Sen. Doug LaMalfa, who is running for California’s 1st district; Lewis County Judge-Executive Thomas Massie, who is running for Kentucky’s 4th district; and foot surgeon Brad Wenstrup, who is running for Ohio’s 2nd district.

All four have won their primaries and are likely to become Members of Congress in the fall. Three of the four seats are open because of House retirements. Wenstrup defeated Rep. Jean Schmidt in the Republican primary.

The Vanguard designation is intended for candidates running in Republican-leaning open seats.

NRCC Loads Second Clip of Young Guns Candidates

North Carolina Congressional candidate David Rouzer is among the National Republican Congressional Committee's newest Young Guns. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The National Republican Congressional Committee today announced its second round of Young Guns — GOP candidates who have been placed in the top tier of the committee’s recruitment and candidate support program.

“These candidates have met a series of rigorous goals that will put them in position to win on Election Day,” NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas) said. “The momentum behind these campaigns is proof-positive that Americans are fed up with President Obama’s policies …” Full story

Arizona: Democrats Outspending Republicans On TV in 8th District

Six days out from the special election in Arizona’s 8th district, television spending in Tucson has surpassed the $3 million mark.

Those supporting Democrat Ron Barber have outspent their Republican counterparts backing veteran Jesse Kelly by about $200,000, according to sources who track television buys in the state. The two candidates are locked in a tight race to replace former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D).

Full story