FIRST ON FOX – The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is off to a fast start building a formidable war chest as it aims to expand the GOP’s majority in the chamber in next year’s elections.
Thanks to large cash transfers from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise – the top two Republicans in the chamber – the NRCC reports hauling in $25.8 million in the first quarter of 2023’s January-March fundraising, including $14.7 last month.
NRCC reported $24 million in cash on hand at the end of March. The House GOP campaign committee’s fundraising numbers were first shared with Fox News on Thursday.
“Money and message win the crowd, and the NRCC is sprinting out of the gates on both fronts. While our efforts are focused on recruiting top-flight candidates and building well-funded campaigns in around them, we are building our war chest to tell the story of how the Republican majority works for the American people,” said NRCC chairman Richard Hudson, RN.C., in a statement.
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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., celebrates after taking the oath of office in Washington, DC, on Jan. 7, 2023. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
McCarthy, who raised a record $35 million in the first quarter — as Fox News first reported late this month — transferred $7 million to the NRCC in the past three months. McCarthy, the longtime congressman from California known as one of Washington DC’s most prolific fundraisers, swept a historic 15-ballot speakership election over five days at the start of the year.
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Scalise, R-La., transferred $3 million to the House GOP’s campaign arm. Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., who spent the past two cycles steering the NRCC, transferred $585,000 and GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, RN.Y., transferred $200,000.
“Growing our majority is a team sport. Our team captains go above and beyond to lead by example. We are very grateful for their tireless and open support.” Hudson, who is in his sixth term in the House, emphasized.
Rep. Richard Hudson, a Republican from North Carolina, speaks at a news conference following a meeting of House Republicans at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, March 9, 2021. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Fundraising helped NRCC pay off its debt. The committee started the cycle $15 million in the red but ended the first quarter with $5.5 million in debt remaining, after paying $9.5 million in the first three months of the year.
Republicans controlled the House majority for eight years before Democrats won the chamber in the 2018 midterms. Two years later, in the 2020 election, the GOP defied expectations and took a bite out of the Democrats’ majority.
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The GOP won a majority in the November 2022 election, but hopes of a red wave have not materialized and the party holds a fragile 222-213 majority. That means Democrats need a net gain of just five seats to regain control of the chamber next year.
The rival Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has yet to announce first quarter fundraising. The DCCC took in $8 million in January and $12.7 million in February. The House Democrats’ campaign arm entered March with $21.3 million in cash on hand.
