House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., defended his fundraising prowess Thursday and dismissed naysayers predicting his lame-duck status would jeopardize his ability to raise more money — and the party’s prospects in the midterms.
Ryan was addressing complaints from GOP political operatives and some disgruntled House Republicans. They fear the speaker won’t command financial support from the party’s wealthy campaign contributors commensurate with his position as the top Republican in Congress after announcing plans to retire at year’s end.
Ryan said his national donor network, worth nearly $150 million in campaign cash so far this cycle, has committed to stick with him. In a rare moment of braggadocio for the speaker, he labeled himself the best choice to lead Republicans into a turbulent midterm, lame duck or not.
“I have shattered every fundraising record any speaker has ever set. I came into this job with a goal, as speaker, to raise $20 million. I doubled it to $40 million. Not only did I hit that goal, I hit it eight months early. So there is nobody who has come close to raising the kinds of funds I have and still can raise,” Ryan said during a news conference. “It makes no sense to take the biggest fundraiser off the field.”
Ryan’s political team told the Washington Examiner that the speaker raised $1 million in the first 30 hours after he announced he would retire after 20 years in Congress. The contributions were described as a “broad show of support” from Ryan’s network after donors heard from him during a conference call asking them to stay on board. Politico first reported news of the call.
A Ryan political aide said that Ryan continues to furiously work the phones, talking to individual campaign contributors in Washington and around the country to ensure that financial support for House Republicans doesn’t waver in the aftermath of his Wednesday morning retirement announcement, which caught many by surprise.
The aide detailed the speaker’s fundraising plans for the crucial, second-quarter period that began April 1, emphasizing that his preset schedule for raising money inside the Beltway and nationally was not being scaled back. Ryan’s team said there were no signs of donors pulling out of planned events.
Next week, Ryan is headlining a fundraiser for Debbie Lesko, the Republican running in the special election in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. It’s part of a two-week period that will see the speaker headline close to two dozen fundraisers. Upcoming fundraising travel will take Ryan to Boston, Chicago, and California.
In interviews, two veteran Ryan donors based in Washington said they expect the speaker to deliver as he has since he won the gavel in the fall of 2015.
“He has deep and trusted relationships all over the country that respect his family decision and are still committed to helping him finish the job of keeping the majority in November. I wouldn’t bet against him,” said Bob Wood, president of the lobbying firm BGR Group.
“Paul has spent years cultivating his network and building relationships with people in D.C. and around the country,” added Tim McGivern, of Ogilvy Government Relations. “His long-time supporters are completely on board.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee, the House GOP campaign arm, has raised nearly $115 million this election cycle. Ryan is responsible for $40 million of that. He raised a total of $44 million in 2017.
The super PAC and political nonprofit aligned with Ryan, both of which figure prominently in the party’s strategy to retain the House majority, have raised a combined $90 million. Ryan is responsible for nearly all of that.
With the Republicans’ 23-seat House majority threatened by a possible voter revolt against President Trump, GOP insiders, including some members of Congress, are worried that Ryan’s lame-duck status will discourage donors from giving, leaving the party short of critical resources it needs to defend itself from an expected Democratic onslaught.
“He completely handicaps the fundraising power of the speakership,” a Republican operative said. “If he stays in power, he’s taking that out of our arsenal.”
