DCCC Sets Fundraising Record With $22.6 Million In First Quarter

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee set a record for its own first-quarter fundraising by pulling in $22.6 million over the first three months of 2013. In March alone, the DCCC raised $10.2 million.

A large chunk of the record total came from Democratic congressmen contributing to the committee and from fundraising by the party's House leadership. Members of Congress gave $4.3 million in the first quarter of this year, the second-highest quarterly total since the Democrats lost the House majority in the 2010 election.

Rep Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the DCCC raised $4.1 million, while House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) pulled in $7 million for the committee. Freshmen representatives gave $226,250 and raised another $1.7 million from other donors, according to the DCCC.

Online grassroots fundraising also produced a solid sum. According to the DCCC, there were 229,000 online contributions for a total of $4.7 million in the first quarter.

"Our record breaking fundraising success this quarter has been built on our Members stepping forward and our grassroots stepping up," Israel said in a statement. "We've broken records because people are tired of the obstruction in this Republican Congress and want to elect problem-solvers who will stand up for the middle class."

The DCCC has $8.9 million cash on hand and $4.5 million in debt. That is a significantly lower debt than the committee had at similar times in 2009 and 2011, also following election years.