DCCC Aims to Raise Record $154 Million This Cycle

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee currently holds better than a $27.6 million cash-on-hand advantage over the rival National Republican Congressional Committee, when debts and obligations are taken into account. Now, according to Bloomberg's Laura Litvan, the DCCC is looking to press that advantage.

House Democrats, eager to hold on to their new majority in the 2008 elections, are seeking to raise a record $154 million for the party from incumbent lawmakers -- more than four times the amount Republicans are trying to collect.

An Oct. 24 tally sheet obtained by Bloomberg News outlines goals for each lawmaker. Together, they are being pressed to transfer $50 million in ``dues'' from their re-election war chests to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and to raise another $104 million from outside donors.

[...]

Pelosi, who joined with other leaders in setting the goals for the House's 237 Democratic lawmakers and non-voting delegates, is to raise a total of $25.8 million. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina are each expected to produce a total of $3.3 million.

To this point (as of the end of September), the DCCC has brought in more than $52 million, which roughly puts them on track to raise somewhere in the $125 million to $130 million range by election day 2008. This would mean that the committee will have to speed up its fundraising efforts a tad in order to meet its overall goal. The committee has also brought in about $13.4 million in direct transfers from its members, putting in on track to raise in the $30 million to $35 million range. Again, this would mean the committee would have to ramp up its efforts a bit before it meets its mark.

I like the idea of the DCCC setting such an ambitious fundraising goal -- particularly given the fact that the committee intends to devote so much more resources to offense relative to defense than it has in previous cycles. With a huge amount of money in the bank and an enormous advantage in cash-on-hand over the NRCC, House Democrats could potentially build a significantly larger majority next fall, one that could prove enduring and more progressive than any other in recent memory.

Tags: dccc, Fundraising, House 2008 (all tags)

Comments

14 Comments

Raise Record $154 Million This Cycle

So what's the old record?  

It would help add to the effect if we knew what the old record was and when we set it.  

by JeremiahTheMessiah 2007-11-14 10:08AM | 0 recs
Boy, I may not love big $ in politics

But, I do love how the DCCC is humming along these days...firing on all Eights!

Gotta give Rham a lot of credit there..

by holden caulfield 2007-11-14 10:19AM | 0 recs
Re: Boy, I may not love big $ in politics

I doubt rahm is lacking in any credit.  With his ego, no one needs to worry about him not receiving any "credit."

by jgarcia 2007-11-14 12:08PM | 0 recs
soooo F-ing ttrue!

how many times have we led with generic house numbers and still always lost...or didnt win enogh?

but he really did it...and so he deserves great applause for his feat...

by holden caulfield 2007-11-14 12:17PM | 0 recs
Re: soooo F-ing ttrue!

The generic numbers seem to have a consistent skew of about D +4.  Plus they almost always contract as the election nears and voters say, "I didn't mean him (or her)!" about a specific candidate.

by InigoMontoya 2007-11-14 12:40PM | 0 recs
Re: soooo F-ing ttrue!

I give Rahm lots of credit for the victory in 2006.  He may be a total SOB by all appearances, but he's our SOB.

That said, I give him credit for the fundraising and the recruiting, but not so much for the message.  I mean, this is a guy who recruited a veteran who lost both legs in Iraq, and then wanted her to talk about jobs and health care instead of the war.  He literally wanted all our candidates to steer clear of the biggest issue of the day.

Frankly, if Ned Lamont hadn't won that primary and shown Democrats that you could run against the war and not turn into a pillar of salt, I really don't know if the election would have turned out the same way.  I think the message is where Rahm nearly dropped the ball.

by Steve M 2007-11-14 12:54PM | 0 recs
Stteve - hones tto God..i went at the

last month to hekp one of the highest profile races...a mil vet running who was against he war - and...

the war wasnt the top couple of issues.

no message from me on that, just sayin what really was...

it might have driven the netrooters, but not like jobs, health care, insecurity...corruption...

by holden caulfield 2007-11-14 01:18PM | 0 recs
Re: Stteve - hones tto God..i went at the

I don't go by what the netroots say, I go by the results of every single poll taken that year.  Let's look at a few.

 ABC News/Washington Post  Poll. Nov. 1-4, 2006. N=1,205 adults nationwide. Fieldwork by TNS. Results below are among registered voters.

"Which of the following will be/was the SINGLE MOST important issue in your vote for Congress this year: the U.S. campaign against terrorism, the war in Iraq, the economy, immigration, ethics in government, health care or something else?" Items rotated

Iraq
    31%        

Economy
    21        

Health care
    12        

Terrorism
    11        

Immigration
    9        

Ethics in government
    6        

Something else
    7        

Unsure
    2    

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Nov. 2-3, 2006. N=1,045 registered voters nationwide. MoE ± 4.

.

"In deciding your vote for Congress this year, which ONE of the following issues is most important to you? . . ." Options rotated

.

              11/2-3/06     10/26-27/06            

    The situation in Iraq     32     29            
    The economy     19     21            
    Terrorism     12     14            
    Health care     11     14            
    Immigration     10     11            
    Abortion     5     4            
    Stem cell research     3     3            

 CBS News/New York Times  Poll. Oct. 27-31, 2006. N=598 likely voters nationwide. MoE ±  4 (for all likely voters).

.

"Of all the problems facing this country today, which one do you most want the new Congress to concentrate on first?" Open-ended

.

              ALL

    War in Iraq     39    
    Illegal immigration     9    
    Economy and jobs     7    
    Defense/Military     5    
    Health care     5    
    Terrorism (general)     5    
    Education     2    
    Foreign policy     2    
    Taxes/IRS     2    
    Environment     2    
    Other     15    
    Unsure     7

You just can't defend a decision, in an environment like that, to consciously avoid talking about the war.

I think candidates should mostly be left free to know their own district and talk about the issues that they believe matter to the locals, but there was no excuse for the DCCC to actively encourage candidates NOT to talk about the war.  It's unfathomable to me.

by Steve M 2007-11-14 01:52PM | 0 recs
hmm..interestting...i forgott about the dccc

messaging...by the time i got to the rep race it was all gotv time...hmmm...but again, our interaction showed corruption...but it likely was cause it was a gop district before...

by holden caulfield 2007-11-14 01:59PM | 0 recs
Re: Boy, I may not love big $ in politics

Isn't this more Chris Van Hollen's doing, as Rahm is no longer the head of the DCCC?

Major props to Van Hollen, who it seems is also more receptive to the netroots than Rahm was.

by BruinKid 2007-11-14 12:34PM | 0 recs
incumbents raising money

Does anybody else have concerns that this is going to push individual members into cozier relations with the lobbyists?

by Carl Nyberg 2007-11-14 10:21AM | 0 recs
Hope they fail miserably.

Would someone explain to me why we want them to achieve this goal given the fact that they 1)aren't going to stop the war 2have taken impeachment off the table, and 3)will probably just use the money to condemn moveon and other truly progressive organizations some more.  

If you really want to elect progressives contribute to actblue.  Hoyer, Pelosi, Rham and the DCSS, can go take a leap.

by Dameocrat 2007-11-14 10:37AM | 0 recs
just a few months to Nader

bet you CAN'T WAIT!

by holden caulfield 2007-11-14 12:18PM | 0 recs
Bush Dogs

I have gotten two fundraising calls and both times told them that I don't give to the DCCC since they picked Bush Dogs to support in the primaries.

by msobel 2007-11-14 04:48PM | 0 recs

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