Election: Democrats winning money battle in key CA House races, aiding effort to flip Congress

Democrats running in California’s most competitive congressional districts are raising substantially more money than their Republican competitors — nearly five times more in the latest reporting period — as liberal donors push for the party to take control of the House of Representatives.

From July through September, Democrats out-raised Republicans in each of the state’s eight GOP-held congressional districts that Democrats hope to flip. The surge brought the eight candidates $22.5 million, mostly from  online small-sum donations.

The money dwarfs previous hauls in the same districts and could signal that the party has an enthusiasm advantage heading into the pivotal Nov. 6 mid-term election.

But Republican campaign strategists said last-minute contributions from GOP mega-donors could level the playing field in the final weeks, and they warned against reading too much into Democrats’ large fundraising leads.

The eight GOP-held districts – which are in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties and the Central Valley – are being targeted by national Democrats as some of the 23 the party needs to flip in order to gain control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Hillary Clinton outperformed President Donald Trump in seven of those seats, spurring both parties to focus tens of millions of dollars in resources there.

But Democrats in those districts have been more successful than Republicans in attracting small donations, something that experts said might play out in the ballot box.

“It’s important not because Democrats have an insurmountable fundraising lead, but because it’s indicative of an enthusiasm gap,” said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of Cal State Los Angeles’ Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs.

“Much of the Democrats’ fundraising edge is being driven by the grassroots energy, not by the national party apparatus,” Sonenshein said.

“This certainly tilts the scale toward Democrats in California.”

Democrats’ third-quarter windfall boosted their fundraising totals for the entire cycle. Since the start of last year, Democrats in the eight targeted districts cumulatively raised $43 million versus the Republicans’ $20 million. Around the country, Democratic congressional candidates enjoyed a similar advantage, bringing in $252 million in the nation’s 69 most competitive House races compared with $172 million for Republicans, according to the New York Times.

Republicans dismissed those numbers, saying Democrats’ small-sum contributions often come from out-of-district donors.

In California’s 25th Congressional District, which covers northern Los Angeles County and part of Ventura County, Democratic challenger Katie Hill collected $3.8 million, eight times more than four-year incumbent Rep. Steve Knight (R-Palmdale). Knight’s campaign noted that he’s won other elections in which his competitors have brought in more money.

“The money’s not coming from the district, and Congressman Knight continues to have support from constituents,” said Matt Rexroad, a spokesman for Knight’s campaign. “Democrats are probably more enthusiastic than they have been, but we’re seeing that Republicans are matching them in their enthusiasm to go vote.”

In Orange County’s coastal 48th Congressional District, Democratic candidate Harley Rouda raised $3.1 million during the third quarter, seven times more than longtime incumbent Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa).

Dale Neugebauer, Rohrabacher’s campaign manager, said “all the money in the world won’t convince voters in coastal Orange County to elect a candidate like Harley Rouda.”

Rouda’s campaign, in turn, noted that it has raised 37 times more in small-sum donations than Rohrabacher, suggesting a higher level of grassroots support for the Democrat. But a spokesperson could not say how much of that money came from inside the district.

Across the eight competitive California House seats, Democrats have received a higher portion of their money (65 percent) than Republicans (46 percent) from individual donors.

Meanwhile, filings show that Republicans are much more likely to get their money from political action committees. Nearly 39 percent of GOP candidates’ fundraising in the competitive California House seats came from PACs, compared with 5 percent for Democrats.

Not all of the fundraising data reflects broader trends.

One Democrat – navy veteran and lottery winner Gil Cisneros – loaned his campaign $8 million. Without the self-funding, Cisneros’ competitor, former GOP Assemblywoman Young Kim, narrowly out-raised him.

Also, Democrats in the eight California House races have received more than Republicans from national backers.

Since the June primary, political action committees have spent nearly $20 million in independent expenditures in support of Democrats in the state’s eight competitive congressional districts, compared with nearly $15 million spent for Republicans, according to ProPublica data.

But in recent weeks, GOP mega-donors have contributed heavily in an effort to keep Republican candidates financially competitive. Last month, billionaire Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam, donated $32 million to Republican groups, according to multiple news outlets. That’s on top of $55 million they previously gave to two Republican organizations, the Senate Leadership Fund and the Congressional Leadership Fund.

That money is already flowing into Southern California, funding ads to attack Democrats and boost Republicans in the competitive House seats.