Senate Republicans raised $4.2 million in April, putting their available cash for the 2016 campaign at $5 million.
The NRSC, the campaign committee that will focus on defending their new Senate majority next year, raised more money last month than in the off years of the three previous election cycles. The Senate Republican campaign committee also made progress on its debt from the 2014 election, knocking it down to a manageable $3.5 million.
In the age of super PACs, the national party committees are less influential than they used to be. Both the Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans have affiliated super PACs that are expected to raise and spend millions on the battle for the Senate in 2016. Democrats begin this election cycle with the advantage, threatening several Republican incumbents running for re-election in blue states.
It’s the opposite of what happened in 2014, when Republicans were able to target several Senate seats held by Democrats that were up for election in red states.
