Ahead of November Midterms, Democratic National Committee Nears GOP Funding Level

June 14, 2010 -- The Democratic National Committee, aided by White House fundraising, has sliced into the Republican National Committee's traditional financial edge before congressional midterm elections in November.

The RNC, rocked by party infighting and questions about its spending, collected $127.9 million to the DNC's $124.5 million.

That stands in sharp contrast to previous elections. At this point before the 2006 elections, the national GOP had raised $151.2 million, nearly double the $79.6 million that had been collected by the national Democratic Party.

"A number of people who are giving to Republicans, who want to see them do well in the election, don't trust the RNC," said Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute. "The lesbian bondage club certainly didn't help," he added, referring to a nearly $2,000 RNC expense at a sex-themed nightclub in West Hollywood, Calif., in February.

The nightclub bill "was the straw that broke the camel's back," said Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council, who urged activists to send their political donations directly to candidates or to conservative PACs, rather than to the RNC.

RNC spokesman Doug Heye said the committee is trying to "engage and work" with people who represent a range of interests, including Perkins. One reason for the fundraising picture, he said: Republicans no longer control the White House as they did from 2001 to 2008 or the Congress. "This a brave new world," Heye said. "We don't have a current president who is able to go out ... and raise money for us."

The RNC still is doing well, Heye said, pointing to figures that show the party outraising the DNC during seven months last year. "The Democrats ought to be walloping us," he said.

Overall, all Democratic national fundraising committees ended April with $59.5 million in cash available, compared with $41.1 million for Republicans. Fundraising reports for May are due this week.

Democrats say they are gaining ground, in part, because of fundraising that included $32 million collected through fundraising appearances by Obama in 2009 and an influx of new donors. Obama and Vice President Biden appeared at 22 DNC fundraisers in 2009 and have headlined eight this year.