Freshman Democrats rake in the cash

By GottaLaff

Money talks:

The 31 House Democratic freshmen raised an average of nearly $120,000 more than their GOP counterparts in the first quarter, according to a review of Federal Election Commission filings.

The newly elected Democrats pulled in an average of $253,000 between Jan. 1 and March 31. Freshman Republicans raised an average of $136,000 in the same period.

Democrats also enjoy a more than 2-to-1 advantage over Republicans in the amount they have stored in the bank, with the average Democrat sporting $238,000 cash on hand and the average Republican holding just $110,000 in reserve.

Democratic bright spots include Reps. John Adler (N.J.), Dan Maffei (N.Y.), Gary Peters (Mich.) and Jim Himes (Conn.), all of whom raised more than $400,000 in just three months. Those totals could give opponents second thoughts about a challenge.

Democrats' success at pulling in money reflects both a new political reality, as the party finds itself in charge of all three levers of government in Washington, and the stark challenge the party faces in keeping its big majorities. Far more freshman Democrats will find themselves with difficult races next year than will freshman Republicans, partly because many represent districts that recently backed Republicans.

Of the 31 House Democrats serving their first term, 27 are on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's (DCCC) vaunted Frontline program, which seeks to shore up potentially vulnerable members by setting fundraising, media and organizational goals.

More details can be found here.