The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is heading into the midterm cycle at a steep financial disadvantage versus Republicans, hamstrung by lingering debt from former Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign and lackluster donor enthusiasm.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) brought in $10.7 million in September and holds $86 million in cash reserves, according to the latest fundraising totals released this week. By contrast, the DNC raised $10.3 million and had just $12 million on hand.
Part of the challenge stems from debt left hanging after Harris’s failed presidential bid, which burned through $1.5 billion in an astonishingly short 107 days. The DNC paid $1.6 million in September alone to cover campaign obligations, bringing its total repayments tied to Harris’s campaign to more than $20 million so far, according to Axios.
The fundraising gap underscores deep frustration among donors with the DNC’s direction. Earlier this year, most top donors snubbed a San Francisco fundraiser featuring Harris, forcing the party to scramble for a host and ultimately raising far less than expected, people familiar with the event told The Wall Street Journal.
The DNC has also struggled with internal turmoil since its crushing presidential defeat, split between its progressive wing and more moderate members.
David Hogg, a gun control activist elected as one of the DNC’s vice chairs in February, faced backlash from other Democrats after proposing primary challenges against incumbent Democrats and was removed from his post in June. Leaked audio from June revealed that DNC Chair Ken Martin questioned his own leadership abilities amid internal conflicts triggered by Hogg’s efforts, Politico first reported.
Meanwhile, some top Democratic officials have become increasingly upset with some of their party leaders, including Martin, for not doing enough to back Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign in New York City, Axios reported. Key figures such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have yet to endorse Mamdani, less than two weeks from Election Day.
Democratic House and Senate committees are outperforming the national party, with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee outraising the National Republican Senatorial Committee by nearly $2 million in the third quarter of 2025.
Major Democratic donors are also channeling funds to individual candidates rather than the national committee. Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey have raised significant sums, while some Senate candidates in battleground states like Georgia are reporting strong fundraising results. Democrats have also poured considerable resources into efforts to redraw California’s congressional maps.
The DNC did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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