Swing-state Democrats fall behind GOP in fundraising as ‘enthusiasm gap’ drags on party

Are House Democrats in vulnerable districts falling behind their Republican counterparts? It seems so, as incumbent House Republicans have posted a strong fundraising term for various swing districts, leaving their Democratic counterparts in the dust.

According to the Cook Political Report, among the 39 seats rated as a toss-up, lean Republican, or lean Democratic, 17 out of the 20 worst fundraisers among vulnerable incumbents for the first quarter were Democrats, as reported by Axios.

But it’s not all bad news for the Democrats. Freshman Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) had a strong first quarter, finishing with $823,813.43 raised, being the second-largest Democratic fundraiser among the vulnerable incumbents.

Republicans may have retaken the House in the 2022 elections, but not by an overwhelming majority despite predictions of a “red wave,” leaving House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) with a small majority to work with. For the 2024 election, the GOP is hoping to expand its narrow majority in light of several losses in tight races in 2022.

Want to know more about the California House seats that will be competitive in 2024? Check out this article.