GOP senators don’t pay up

Less than two months before Election Day, only 13 Senate Republicans have met their fundraising goals for the campaign committee in charge of salvaging their November hopes, according to internal numbers reviewed by The Hill.

Senate Republicans have set goals of raising between $750,000 and $3 million for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and GOP Senate candidates this cycle, but 22 of the 49-member conference are less than 50 percent of the way to meeting their individual targets.

{mosads}The lack of fundraising has infuriated Sen. John Ensign (Nev.), the head of the NRSC, who criticized his colleagues last month and warned that he would slash money for independent advertisements in key races.

Through the end of July, the NRSC has just $25.4 million in cash on hand, compared to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s (DSCC) $43 million. This comes despite a huge electoral advantage for Democrats, who have to defend just 12 seats compared to the Republicans’ 23.

Adding to the difficulty in raising money, aides and lawmakers say, is the poor environment for congressional Republicans, who are widely expected to suffer deep losses in November. And the Republican National Committee is focused on the presidential race, unlike in 2006, when it was pumping money into the congressional campaign trail. Plus several retiring Republican senators are far from meeting their goals.

“We are doing more with less and because of that we will be competitive with the DSCC over the next two months,” said Rebecca Fisher, a spokeswoman for the NRSC. She also said the committee has recently been exceeding its monthly fundraising goals.

Still, there are some Republicans who seem to be lagging in fundraising.

The poorest numbers have been posted by Sen. John Barrasso from Wyoming and Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the party’s presidential nominee. Barrasso, who has a safe seat to defend this fall, has raised just $10,000 for the committee, even though he has a goal of raising $750,000 this cycle. McCain’s now defunct leadership political action committee (PAC) has raised $12,500 for GOP candidates this cycle, and he has only raised $250 for the NRSC. He has a goal of raising $1.25 million this cycle.

McCain and centrist Chuck Hagel (Neb.), who retires this year, are the only Republican senators not to attend an NRSC event this cycle.

Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky, who faces reelection in 2010, has raised just $50,000 out of a $750,000 goal. Bunning has about $176,000 in cash on hand, while his Political Hall of Fame PAC has racked up about $61,000, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, who faces voters again in 2012, has about $907,000 in cash on hand, according to FEC records. For the NRSC, she gave only $92,040, or only 7 percent of the way toward meeting her $1.25 million goal this cycle.

{mospagebreak}Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas gave $43,500 — 6 percent of the way toward his $750,000 goal for the NRSC.

Spokesmen for these senators either would not comment or could not be reached.

“We’ve got some of these Appropriations chairmen, who I believe have helped to hurt the party — they’re sitting on multiple millions of dollars, and they’re not willing to put it in,” said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who has raised $1.3 million for the committee, exceeding his $750,000 goal.

“Ensign’s right: The Democrats want it more than we do.”

{mosads}Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), who sits on the Appropriations Committee, has $13.1 million in cash on hand through June, while his Defend America PAC has secured $2.3 million through July. But the senator, who is not up for reelection until 2010, has given $586,050 this cycle, 33 percent of the way toward his $1.75 million goal.

Shelby’s office defended his efforts.

“In addition to the many fundraisers Sen. Shelby sponsors on behalf of Republicans running for office, he has and will continue to support Republican candidates in the Senate and House from his Defend America PAC,” said Laura Henderson, his spokeswoman.

But there are growing concerns that some members are sitting on their wallets.

“I think it’s a sense of frustration because the Democrats have given a lot of money,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah), who is the second-highest GOP fundraiser, smashing his $750,000 goal with nearly $5 million in cash raised. “But Republicans are conservative, so they’re a little cheaper.”

Ensign, who says he will not run the campaign committee next cycle, has raised the most money out of the GOP conference, securing more than $9 million and surpassing his $2.25 million goal.

Unlike many rank-and-file members, the GOP leadership is close to meeting its goals.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has the highest goal in the conference of raising $3 million this cycle, has racked up $2.6 million for the NRSC and Republican candidates. Minority Whip Jon Kyl (Ariz.) has raised $2.1 million, more than his $2 million goal.

Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, the conference chairman, has raised $1.75 million, slightly less than his $2 million goal. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the policy chairwoman, has reached her $2 million goal for the NRSC and GOP candidates, as has her Texas counterpart, Sen. John Cornyn.

But other senior Republicans are far off pace.

Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.), the ranking Republican on the Budget Committee, has raised just $265,500, far short of his $1.25 million goal. Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley of Iowa has raised $436,000, less than 25 percent of his goal, despite having $2.7 million in cash on hand at the end of June. And Sen. Mike Enzi (Wyo.), the top Republican on the Health Committee, has raised just 22 percent of his $1.25 million goal. Sen. Bob Bennett of Utah, a close McConnell adviser, is only 27 percent of the way toward meeting his $1.25 million goal.

Of the four, only Enzi faces reelection this year. But Enzi, who had $845,000 in cash through July, is expected to win easily.

Jill Kozeny, a Grassley spokeswoman, said the Iowa senator attends most campaign committee events and works hard to raise money for his colleagues. But Grassley is “nearly maxed out in contributions, and a half a million dollars is real money in Iowa,” she said.

Alexander Bolton contributed to this article.