Senate Democrats continued their trend of outraising Senate Republicans in August as they try to position themselves to win back the majority in 2016.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee took in $3.3 million last month, to close the period with $8.8 million in cash on hand. The NRSC raised just $2.6 million, to finish with $8 million in the bank. The DSCC has raked in more money than the NRSC, formerly the National Republican Senatorial Committee, in six out of eight months this year.
“The DSCC is proud to report our best off-year August fundraising haul ever, and we are grateful to our grassroots supporters around the country who helped make that possible,” committee executive director Tom Lopach said in a statement.
The DSCC is still carrying $8 million in operational debt; the NRSC has paid all of its bills relating to the 2014 election cycle.
Senate Democrats lost the majority in last year’s midterm elections, dropping nine seats to the Republicans, who now hold a 54-46 advantage in the chamber. But they’re threatening to retake the majority next year, and are on offense in multiple Republican-held seats that tend to go Democratic in presidential elections. Those include Illinois, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
Democrats also are targeting Republican-held seats in the swing states of Florida, New Hampshire and Ohio. Republicans are targeting Democratic-held seats in Colorado and Nevada. The Democrats need to win a net of five seats to take back the majority.
In other fundraising news, the Republican National Committee raised $8.2 million in August. The RNC reported $17.6 million on hand.
