The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $31 million in the first three months of the year, setting a record for the group's typically sluggish early cash chase.
“Our record-breaking fundraising is a clear reflection of the urgency that people have towards fighting back against a reckless Republican agenda, including ongoing efforts to rip apart the Affordable Care Act,” said DCCC spokesman Tyler Law. “The massive amount of small-dollar, online donations — much of which came from first-time donors — provides another clear sign that the grassroots energy is behind House Democrats this cycle.”
The haul was fueled by a surge in online contributions, including 121,000 new donors, according to the campaign arm of House Democrats.
It's the latest evidence that antipathy toward President Donald Trump is a boon for Democratic fundraising efforts.
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ActBlue, a service that collects money on behalf of hundreds of Democratic candidates, reported raising $112 million in the first quarter of the year from 4 million contributions. It took the group almost eight years to process that many contributions after its founding in 2004.
Well-known Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) also have touted unusually strong fundraising, while Jon Ossoff, the Democrat in next week's special election in Georgia, brought in an unprecedented $8.3 million in first three months of the year.
The DCCC's cash infusion will likely increase pressure on the party organ to invest more in upcoming special congressional elections.
The DCCC made only a small, last-minute push in this week’s election in Kansas, where Democrat James Thompson’s surprisingly strong performance led Democrats to say the party should have done more.
Still, the Democrats were out-raised by their Republican counterparts. Parties in power typically have more success fundraising and the National Republican Congressional Committee took in $36 million over the same period.
