Blue wave? Dem candidates raise millions in battle for House

Democratic House candidates are raking in millions of dollars in the final fundraising quarter before the midterms in November, continuing their strong fundraising streak in the high-stakes battle for the House.

A handful of candidates running in this cycle’s most competitive House races are pulling in seven-figure hauls in the third fundraising quarter of 2018, which runs from July to September, according to fundraising numbers campaigns have released so far.

{mosads}Those figures are on par with Senate candidates’ fundraising for a statewide race.

Two Democrats — Amy McGrath in Kentucky and Josh Harder in California — have raised more than $3 million each, which are eye-popping fundraising numbers for House candidates.

McGrath, who’s running in a hotly contested race against Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), raised $3.65 million in the third quarter, ending September with $1.7 million in the bank.

President Trump easily won the district by double-digits in 2016, but the race for Kentucky’s 6th District has emerged as a top race as Democrats seek to flip 23 seats to gain a majority in the House.

And in California, Harder, who’s challenging Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) in a district that Hillary Clinton won in 2016, similarly raised $3.5 million in the third quarter.

Those two House candidates have raised more than a majority of Senate candidates running in this cycle’s most competitive races.

In the second fundraising quarter of 2018, only five Senate candidates or incumbents running in the 14 marquee Senate races this cycle raised more than Harder’s or McGrath’s $3.5 million hauls.

Other House Democrats have pulled in fundraising totals that have exceeded $1 million in the third fundraising quarter, and at least a few candidates brought in more than $2 million.

Democrat Sean Casten, who’s running against Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), pulled in $2.6 million in the third quarter, while Democrat Sharice Davids raised $2.7 million in Kansas.

Davids, who’s running against Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.), would be the first Native American woman elected to Congress if she wins in November. Both districts were carried by Clinton.

A handful of other Democratic candidates also raised more than $1.5 million in the third quarter, including Dana Balter in New York, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan in Illinois and Aftab Pureval in Ohio.

Democratic House candidates have repeatedly dominated fundraising this cycle in a year that many speculate could be building into a blue wave.

In the second fundraising quarter of 2018, more than 50 Democratic candidates outraised House GOP incumbents, and 21 Democrats raised more than $1 million each between April and June.

Still, even with Democratic candidates’ massive hauls, Republican outside groups have been able to counter with their own high-dollar fundraising and have been flooding the airwaves with ads.

Congressional Leadership Fund, the super PAC aligned with Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), is planning to spend $100 million in the battle for the House, with advertisements and field offices in dozens of competitive districts as they seek to protect the GOP’s House majority.