Republican Super Pacs Bank Millions Ahead Of Midterm Battles

Republicans are betting that they tin take sides their slim legislature majorities successful adjacent year’s midterm elections, and nan party’s biggest donors are putting their chips connected nan table, too.

New fundraising reports revenge Thursday for extracurricular groups show that GOP megadonors are engaged successful nan conflict for Congress, steering $59.2 cardinal to nan main 2 ace PACs progressive successful House and Senate races aligned pinch GOP leadership, Senate Leadership Fund and nan Congressional Leadership Fund, passim nan first six months of nan year.

The 2 awesome ace PACs aligned pinch Democratic legislature leadership, Senate Majority PAC and House Majority PAC, raised $38.6 cardinal combined.

The GOP groups had $62 cardinal near successful their accounts arsenic of June 30, while nan Democratic groups had $35.8 million. And neither those figures nor nan totals raised see each of nan groups’ nonprofit arms, which tin besides raise unlimited costs but do not person to disclose their donors.

While Republicans whitethorn person an early advantage successful nan ace PAC money chase, that doesn’t needfully mean they will beryllium capable to swamp nan airwaves. Democratic candidates person typically raised much money straight for their campaigns than nan mean Republican campaigner has successful caller years, riding a activity of small-donor enthusiasm unleashed successful consequence to President Donald Trump's first predetermination successful 2016.

That candidate-to-candidate financial advantage pays dividends, since candidates tin reserve tv airtime astatine little rates than extracurricular groups.

Still, nan large hauls from Republican groups are a motion that nan party’s donors are tuned into nan midterm conflict ahead, pinch some groups raising substantially much than nan first six months of 2021, nan past midterm predetermination cycle.

That play was besides marked by GOP donors pulling backmost from Republican causes aft nan Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

SLF, which is aligned pinch Senate Majority Leader John Thune, pulled successful $26.5 cardinal during nan first six months of nan year, 4 times nan size of its haul astatine this constituent successful 2021. CLF, which is aligned pinch Speaker Mike Johnson, raised $32.7 million, much than double its 2021 haul.

The aforesaid group of megadonors — hedge money head Paul Singer, existent United Kingdom Ambassador Warren Stephens, investor Mark Rowan and poultry businessman Ronald Cameron — gave $1 cardinal aliases much to each of nan groups.

The biggest checks came from billionaire Elon Musk, who donated $5 cardinal each to SLF and CLF connected June 27, aft he had near his domiciled arsenic a White House. Musk, who besides donated to a pro-Trump ace PAC, made his contributions earlier publically musing astir starting a 3rd statement successful July.

On nan Democratic side, HMP saw a 50% summation compared to its 2021 haul, bringing successful $21.2 cardinal truthful acold this year. But SMP saw a flimsy decrease, raising $17.3 cardinal truthful far. And nan groups drew from different large donors.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker gave $1 cardinal to HMP but not SMP, nan filings show. And HMP besides benefited from Democratic megadonors including Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and hedge money head Stephen Mandel.

SMP, meanwhile, had million-dollar donations from package institution laminitis Phillip Ragon, Olan Mills and existent property mogul George Marcus.

Senate GOP candidates aren’t conscionable going to beryllium boosted by SLF’s important resources; immoderate will use from beardown fundraising by extracurricular groups specifically devoted to their elections, some successful reddish and plaything states.

These candidate-specific Republican Senate ace PACs person emerged to push backmost against nan Democratic candidates’ hard-money advantage.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins, nan only Republican defending a spot successful a authorities Democrats regularly triumph statewide, has flooded a large fundraising discrepancy earlier — her Democratic force successful 2020, Sarah Gideon, outraised her $75.6 cardinal to $27.8 cardinal betwixt 2019 and 2020, but Collins won that title by almost 9 percent points.

After outraising her apical Democratic force past quarter, Collins’ allied ace PAC, Pine Tree Results PAC, reported raising $5.6 cardinal successful nan first six months of 2025, acknowledgment to immoderate cardinal seven-figure checks from backstage equity CEO Stephen Schwarzman and New Balance executive James Davis.

In Michigan, location to what’s expected to beryllium 1 of nan astir competitory Senate races of nan cycle, a group backing Republican Mike Rogers could thief him combat strong fundraising connected nan Democratic side. Great Lakes Conservatives Fund, a pro-Rogers group, raised $5.1 cardinal done June, virtually each from lipid billionaire Timothy Dunn.

In Texas, wherever Sen. John Cornyn faces a reliable GOP superior challenge from authorities Attorney General Ken Paxton, Cornyn is trying to antagonistic Paxton’s nonstop fundraising lead pinch a beardown fundraising showing from extracurricular groups. Texans for a Conservative Majority, a ace PAC backing Cornyn, raised almost $11 cardinal successful nan first six months of nan year.

And Louisiana GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, who faces a superior situation from authorities Treasurer John Fleming, is besides getting an extracurricular boost from a group called Louisiana Freedom Fund, which raised $2.5 cardinal complete that aforesaid clip period.