Skip to content Skip to footer

Democratic Party Falls Further Behind GOP in October Fundraising

The GOP brought in $19 million from individual donors without help from Trump’s joint fundraising committees.

Chairman Tom Perez speaks with supporters at a "Come Together and Fight Back" rally hosted by the Democratic National Committee at the Mesa Amphitheater in Mesa, Arizona, April 21, 2017.

As 2020 nears, the Democratic Party continues to lag behind its Republican counterpart in fundraising efforts.

The Democratic National Committee raised $9 million in October but burned almost as much cash to get there. The committee entered October with $8.6 million in the bank and exited the month with just $8.7 million on hand and $7 million in debt.

In comparison, the Republican National Committee demonstrated unmatched fundraising power. It netted $25.3 million in October and spent $23 million, leaving $61.4 million in bank by the end of the month.

This wasn’t the worst month for the DNC, as it reported losses in previous months. However, the committee is falling further behind its Republican counterpart with every passing month.

In September, the DNC spent sparingly in supporting state party affiliates. During October, however, the committee channeled a total of $1.3 million to its party affiliates in 48 states. In Kentucky, where Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andy Beshear unseated incumbent Republican Gov. Matt Bevin in November, the state Democratic party received the largest share from the DNC, more than $660,000.

The DNC also spent $84,161 on Facebook ads during the past 30 days, calling for contributions to help Democrats win congressional races across the states and gathering signatures in support of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.

The party committee advertised former President Barack Obama’s appearance at a Bay Area fundraiser this Thursday, with tickets ranging from $10,000 to $355,000, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Struggling to raise money, the party sought help from several Democratic presidential candidates, featuring them as speakers at fundraising events, CNBC reported.

Without a party nominee for president or a clear frontrunner, the DNC cannot match the fundraising and spending efforts of Trump and the Republican Party. The Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund was the only joint fundraising committee to bring in major dollars, raising $240,000 for the DNC.

Meanwhile, the RNC is dominating the fundraising game. It brought in $19 million from individual donors without help from Trump’s joint fundraising committees, which gave the committee nearly $10 million in September.

The committee transferred $2.4 million to state party affiliates in October, including $415,725 to Louisiana and $403,265 to Kentucky to aid Republican candidates in gubernatorial races, both of which were won by Democrats in November. It spent $92,448 during the last 30 days running Facebook ads in Louisiana, supporting Republican gubernatorial challenger Eddie Rispone against Democrat incumbent John Bel Edwards, who won reelection by a narrow margin last Saturday.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, still $10 million in debt, raised $5.4 million in October, down slightly from the $6.8 million it raised in the previous month. The committee operated on a tighter budget than September, leaving $17.4 million on hand by the end of the month. The debt-free National Republican Senatorial Committee raised more and spent less than its Democratic counterpart during the same month, ending with $15 million on hand.

The National Republican Congressional Committee is saving up, ending October with $28.3 million on hand, almost $5 million more than what it had at the beginning of the month. It was outraised by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which gained a net $7.5 million during October.

The DSCC and the DCCC spent a total of $365,436 on Facebook ads over the past 30 days, promoting ads polling voters’ preferences among the Democratic presidential candidates. Other ads also supported vulnerable Democrats, such as Reps. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), who are seeking reelection in 2020.

In comparison, their GOP counterparts moved gingerly on digital advertising, combining to spend $94,091 on Facebook ads, attacking vulnerable Democrats such as Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-S.C.) for supporting the impeachment inquiry and asking for donations to defend Trump’s presidency.

We’re not going to stand for it. Are you?

You don’t bury your head in the sand. You know as well as we do what we’re facing as a country, as a people, and as a global community. Here at Truthout, we’re gearing up to meet these threats head on, but we need your support to do it: We must raise $16,000 before midnight to ensure we can keep publishing independent journalism that doesn’t shy away from difficult — and often dangerous — topics.

We can do this vital work because unlike most media, our journalism is free from government or corporate influence and censorship. But this is only sustainable if we have your support. If you like what you’re reading or just value what we do, will you take a few seconds to contribute to our work?