Democratic challengers ride wave of excitement about Harris replacing Biden

A majority of Democratic challengers outraised incumbent Republicans last quarter by an average of $235,000 as Vice President Kamala Harris energized the Democratic base with her candidacy.

According to a Politico analysis of competitive House races, Democratic challengers have taken in more money than their GOP opponents in 17 of 29 House districts named.

That’s in stark contrast to how many Democrats Republican challengers have outraised.

Democrats’ renewed fundraising has boosted their chances of reclaiming the House after it had been accepted that President Joe Biden may drag Democrats down in most races.

“It’s the new beginning, different faces, fresh moment. That’s true in New Jersey, but it’s also now true nationally,” said Sue Altman, a first-time candidate running against Republican Rep. Tom Kean in New Jersey’s battleground 7th District. “For a while there, our campaign was providing hope when other places in the country, hope was hard to find, and that’s including the presidential mess. I think now, however, it’s even more so the snowball is rolling down the hill because now there’s hope everywhere you look.”

But Republicans aren’t too demoralized from seeing the increased fundraising for the opposing party. They say they’re used to being outraised, and many of their incumbents still maintain a lead in war chest cash.

“Democrats traditionally always raise more money than our team does,” National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson told Politico last week.

But it seems Harris’s entry into the race prompted a much larger-than-expected fundraising boost. She has brought in more than $100 million since Biden stepped down. Down-ballot donors appear to be opening up their pocketbooks, too.

Democrats are relieved and excited that they are generating campaign cash that will help them in their races.

“I think it’s more than just a sigh of relief,” said Will Rollins, a California Democrat running for a second time to unseat Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA). “It’s feeling fired up.”