Fundraising hauls show RNC outpacing Democrats ahead of midterms

Summary

The Republican National Committee’s year-end fundraising totals, based on filings to the Federal Election Commission, show a major cash advantage over Democrats heading into the 2026 midterm elections. The RNC reported $172 million raised in 2025 and $95 million in cash on hand at the end of the year, while the Democratic National Committee reported $145 million raised and ended with $14 million in cash on hand and $17 million in debt.

That gap comes as both parties face a challenging political environment for fundraising and messaging, with the RNC’s totals reflecting the 2025 calendar year and the filing snapshot coming before new events and actions in early 2026. The AP report said it is not clear whether voters and donors will make lasting adjustments in their views of the parties as the new year unfolds.

In the House, campaign finance totals for the party’s congressional campaign arms also showed Republicans slightly ahead on the year’s totals. The National Republican Congressional Committee raised $13 million in the last month of 2025 and closed the year with more than $117 million, while the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee closed with $115 million.

For both House committees, the filings indicated similar starting points at the beginning of 2026 in terms of cash on hand, with each beginning the year with about $50 million, according to the report. A similar dynamic was described for the Senate, where parties’ fundraising totals and cash positions diverged.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said the broader GOP fundraising advantage leaves him “bullish” not only about holding the House’s razor-thin majority but also about growing it. In remarks on “Fox News Sunday,” Johnson said, “We’re going to have a war chest to run on.”

On the Democratic side, Viet Shelton, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said the Republicans are “running scared.” Shelton linked that assessment to Democrats’ internal view of candidate strength and messaging as the party tries to win back control of the House.

In the Senate, the National Republican Senatorial Committee raised $88 million in 2025 and ended the year with $19.3 million in cash on hand. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $79.8 million during 2025 but ended with $21.7 million in cash on hand.

The AP report described the fundraising hauls as pointing to a potentially turbulent election cycle, shaped by political headwinds facing the party in power. It said the episode could reward challengers in midterms even as President Donald Trump faces political pushback that could affect the Republican brand and donor behavior.