DNC rakes in $10.7M in December, bringing 2021 total to more than $157 million

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and its joint fundraising arm raked in $10.7 million in December, bringing its total fundraising haul for 2021 to more than $157 million. 

Both figures — the December fundraising haul and the annual total — set records for the DNC as Democrats prepare to defend their razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate this year.

The committee said that it ended 2021 with $65 million in the bank, putting it on a far better financial footing than it was at the end of 2017, when the DNC reported having less than $7 million on hand. 

The 2021 fundraising total was driven by a surge in donors, the DNC said. One million people contributed to the committee last year, beating out the group’s previous record set in 2009 by more than 200,000 people. 

Ninety-nine percent of all contributions to the committee were $200 or less, while the average contribution size was just $23, according to the DNC. 

While the DNC appears to be on solid financial footing heading into the 2022 midterms, Democrats are also facing strong historical headwinds in their bid to keep control of Congress. 

President Biden’s approval rating is deep underwater and is showing few signs of rebounding. There’s also the historical reality that the party of a new president tends to lose ground in Congress in midterm elections. 

Republicans need to net just five seats in the House and only one in the Senate to recapture their majorities.

The Republican National Committee hasn’t yet announced its total fundraising haul for December or for 2021, though in November the group raised more than $10.6 million and reported having more than $65 million in the bank.