Republicans are starting the 2014 campaign for control of Congress with some competitive advantages, but Democrats are winning in one key area: fundraising.
The top Democratic candidates in the 52 most competitive House races reported raising $42.3 million in 2013, topping the $34.8 million for the top GOP candidates in those races, a Wall Street Journal review of newly released fundraising reports filed with the Federal Election Commission showed.
Democratic candidates also begin the year with more money in the bank. Democrats in the most competitive races reported they had a total of $30.9 million to spend on their campaigns at the end of 2013. That was $6.3 million more than the top Republicans in those races.
The totals could give a boost to Democrats' chances of picking up seats in the House, but most analysts think they face long odds in trying to win the 17 seats needed to regain control of the chamber, which it lost in the 2010 election.
Nathan Gonzales, an election analyst with the Rothenberg Political Report, attributed the trend in part to last year's government shutdown. "It can be difficult for challengers to raise money, but Republican incumbents gave Democrats a bailout with the government shutdown," he said.
The reports released late Friday are the first official tally of financial activity by candidates for the 2014 congressional elections. They help set the stage for the closest races, but there is still plenty of time for Republican candidates to close the gap.
Candidacy filing deadlines haven't passed in most states, meaning the field of contenders is still taking shape.Read the rest of the story HERE.
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