The national campaign arm for Senate Democrats outraised its GOP counterpart for the third straight quarter, according to figures released by the DSCC today.
The Democratic group raised $10.2 million in the latest quarter. During the same time, the NRSC raised $8.6 million. And at the quarter’s end, the DSCC had $10.3 million cash on hand to the NRSC’s $5.2 million.
From the DSCC release:
“Despite the troubling economic conditions, Democrats across the country are energized and united heading into the mid-term elections, which is reflected in the continued strength of our fundraising numbers,” said J.B. Poersch, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Executive Director. “For the third straight quarter, the DSCC outraised the NRSC and has a significant cash-on-hand advantage heading into 2010. Our donors are energized every time they see Republicans wipe their hands clean of any responsibility for turning our economy around and reforming health care. We will continue to work hard to raise the funds necessary to maintain and expand our Democratic majority in the Senate.”
Late Update: NRSC spokesperson Brain Walsh emails in with this take on the numbers. He says that when you “cut through the spin,” the DSCC numbers are actually “far off their pace from two years ago.”
Walsh writes,
Remember, the DSCC outraised the NRSC last cycle by $70 million. Now they have 60 Senators and the Presidency – they should be exceeding that figure. Yet, we’ve seen the opposite happen.The fact that we beat them outright in one month, let alone the last two months before this, was shocking. In contrast, we have fewer Senators, yet our fundraising for the year is about 20% above where we were two years ago. They are at least 20% below where they were two years ago. So the fact that they would outraise us is to be expected – we have had no illusions about closing a $70 million gap in one cycle. The story is about momentum between the two parties. With 60 Senators and the Presidency they should be building on their fundraising advantage from last cycle and not see it dwindling but that’s exactly what’s happened thru these first 9 months.
