2 years ago
The Democratic National Committee racked up another record-breaking fundraising quarter to kick off 2022, bringing in $16.8 million in March and more than $42 million over the past three months even as the party stares down a brutal midterm environment.
Just last month, the DNC and its joint fundraising arm collected the party's highest March total ever in a midterm year, according to a DNC spokesperson. The numbers, obtained by POLITICO ahead of the monthly filing deadline, are a bright spot for a party that's defending razor-thin margins in the House and Senate this fall.
In particular, the DNC touted its small-dollar fundraising totals from supporters who gave $200 or less to the committee. Small-dollar donations accounted for over half of the total raised by the DNC in the first quarter, with the average online donation coming in at $26. In recent years, the DNC has built a formidable small-dollar machine, hauling in huge sums of cash from individual givers that were particularly animated during the Trump era.
But major donor giving also ticked up in early 2022, as party leaders returned to more regular in-person fundraising events. President Joe Biden headlined his first in-person fundraiser in March, after the coronavirus pandemic sidelined such events for the first year of his presidency. Biden is holding two fundraisers Thursday during a trip to the West Coast.
First lady Jill Biden also headlined three events in March, while Vice President Kamala Harris did one and second gentleman Doug Emhoff did two. Harris and Emhoff each appeared at additional fundraisers earlier in the first quarter.
The DNC said it's investing this cash in midterm preparations: So far, the committee has made $48 million in commitments and contributions to state parties, compared with the $30 million it spent over the entirety of the 2018 election cycle. It's also spending $25 million on voter education, protection and registration.
English (US)