WASHINGTON – Heading into the midterm elections, the Republican National Committee (RNC) has taken a commanding lead in fundraising, surpassing the Democrats by nearly $100 million, according to the latest year-end reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
Amid challenges faced by Democrats during the Trump administration, the RNC amassed $172 million in 2025, concluding the year with $95 million in reserves. In stark contrast, the Democratic National Committee raised $145 million and was left with only $14 million in cash, alongside $17 million in debt, as they began the new year.
This financial disparity sets the stage for a potentially tumultuous election cycle, as President Donald Trump contends with the political trend where the party in power—currently the Republicans, controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress—often faces setbacks during midterm elections.
When examining the race for congressional control, the financial gap is less pronounced. House Republicans concluded one of their strongest years by raising $13 million in December, bringing the National Republican Congressional Committee’s total to over $117 million. House Democrats were close behind, raising $115 million.
Both House committees entered 2026 with approximately $50 million in cash, as detailed in the filings submitted to the FEC over the weekend. A similar financial situation is unfolding in the Senate campaigns.
House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed optimism on Sunday, highlighting the GOP’s fundraising success as a positive indicator for not only maintaining but potentially expanding their slim majority in the House.
“We’re going to have a war chest to run on,” Johnson, R-La., said on “Fox News Sunday.”
To be sure, the fundraising totals reflect the 2025 calendar year, before the onslaught of actions and events that have scrambled the nation’s politics in the first month of the new year.
From the U.S. military attack on Venezuela to the shooting deaths of two Americans protesting the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis, it’s not at all certain whether voters — and donors — will undergo lasting shifts in their attitudes toward the political parties.
“Momentum is on our side,” said Viet Shelton, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which supports the House Democrats.
He said the Republicans are “running scared” because the Democrats have better candidates and a better message for voters as the party tries to wrest back control of the House.
In the Senate, the National Republican Senatorial Committee raised $88 million in 2025, closing out the year with $19.3 million cash on hand. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $79.8 million, but ended up slightly better with $21.7 million cash on hand.
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