CNN

Washington (CNN) – The National Republican Senatorial Committee again edged out the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee last month, while the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee kept up its winning streak in November - and Democratic campaign committees in the House and Senate both maintained their massive cash-on-hand advantage over their GOP counterparts.

The NRSC pulled in $3.3 million to the DSCC's $3.0 million, the committees said Friday.

The NRSC pointed to the $1 million increase over figures at the same point in the last off-year cycle; in November 2007, the committee pulled in $2.3 million. The NRSC reported ending November with no debt, but its cash-on-hand - $7.3 million - while a significant increase over October COH numbers, are well below the more than $10 million it had in the bank two years ago.

Read the rest of this entry »

Washington (CNN) - As the 2010 battle for Congress heats up, the Senate campaign committees for both parties had something to brag about Wednesday.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee reports that it raked in $4 million last month. That's slightly ahead of their counterpart, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which announced it brought in $3.72 million in October.

But the DSCC says it has $11.32 million cash on hand, more than twice the $5.8 million the NRSC says it has in the bank. The DSCC does report it owes just over $2 million.

The DSCC says it raked in $5.9 million in September, compared to $3.2 million for the NRSC.

Both committees say their October 2009 numbers are better than they were at same point two years ago.

Read the rest of this entry »

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Senate Republicans raised more money last month than their Democratic counterparts and the GOP has more cash-on-hand 14 months before the midterm elections.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) raised nearly $3.1 million in August compared to the $2.2 million the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) collected during that same time period, the two political operations reported on Thursday. The NRSC said it has $5.1 million in the bank, while the DSCC noted it has about $6.7 million. But Democrats also reported carrying a $2.9 million debt, while the GOP stated it had no financial liabilities.

In 2010, Democrats and Republicans each have 18 Senate seats up for re-election. The GOP must defend six open seats – four that are expected to be competitive: Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire and Ohio. Democrats have to defend two open seats and as of now one of those contests, Illinois, is considered competitive.

Follow Mark Preston on Twitter @prestoncnn

The DSCC is taking aim at the crop of GOP senate candidates as the midterm election season approaches.

(CNN) – Gearing up for the midterm elections - a cycle that generally favors the party out of power - the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released another tough new Web ad Thursday that says the current slate of Senate GOP candidates "no dream team."

The ad calls Ohio candidate Rob Portman a "Bush insider," California candidate Carly Fiorina "one of the U.S.A.'s worst CEO's," and Missouri candidate Roy Blunt a "36-year politician."

The ad also goes after Pennsylvania's Pat Toomey, saying his "own party says he can't win," and New Hampshire's Kelly Ayotte who "broke her pledge" to serve out her term as the state's attorney general.

"This team deserves to stay on the bench," the ad declares.

(CNN) - The National Republican Senatorial Committee slightly outraised its Democratic counterpart in the month of July, according to fundraising totals provided by both organizations Thursday.

The NRSC reported raising $2.75 million last month, bringing its year-to-date cash haul to $23.5 million. The NRSC also said it has $4.4 million cash on hand and is carrying zero debt.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised just over $2 million in the same time period, and has raked in $25.3 million since the beginning of the year. The DSCC has just over $7 million cash on hand and owes $3.3 million in debt.

The DSCC significantly outraised the NRSC in June.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The latest fundraising numbers show that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee significantly outraised its Republican counterpart in June, though the two committees have raked in close to the same amount over the entire year.

The DSCC reported Monday raising $6.2 million last month compared to the National Republican Senatorial Committee's $3.4 million in the same time period. Since Jan. 1, the DSCC has raised $23.2 million, while the NRSC has taken in $20.1 million.

The DSCC also has a little less than double cash-on-hand as the NRSC, $7.9 million to $4.3 million. However, the DSCC is carrying a debt of $3.7 million, while the NRSC reports holding no debts.

A new web video links Sarah Palin to Charlie Crist and Kelly Ayotte.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Senate Democrats are using Sarah Palin's decision to leave office later this month in a new Web video linking the Alaska governor to two GOP candidates in key battleground states.

The new spot from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee features an oath of office repeated by voices intended to represent Palin, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, and flashes images of hands with their fingers crossed behind their backs.

Crist and Ayotte have both announced their intention to run for the Senate next year; Ayotte has decided to resign early in advance of her run. Palin has not said whether she may be weighing a run for another elected office.

The first attempt to use Palin's pending resignation to slam Republican candidates began earlier this month, just days after she her decision.

(updated with GOP reaction after the jump)

Read the rest of this entry »

Republican senator Richard Burr is a top Democratic target in 2010.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – When North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper ruled out a run for the Senate last week, national Democrats lost their top choice to take on Republican incumbent Richard Burr in 2010.

But the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee still sees Burr as vulnerable, and several state Democrats have emerged as potential challengers in the wake of Cooper's decision. The Raleigh News and Observer even suggested Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, might jump into the ring.

Still, the DSCC - which is otherwise staying mum on the recruitment process - is taking four Democratic candidates seriously at the moment, according to a committee source.

Their top candidates are, in no particular order: Rep. Heath Shuler, the former NFL quarterback and second term congressman from western North Carolina's 11th district; Rep. Bob Etheridge from the Raleigh-area second district; former state Treasurer Richard Moore, who lost in the state's Democratic gubernatorial primary last year; and Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton.

Read the rest of this entry »

The DSCC is targeting Charlie Crist in a new ad.

(CNN) - National Democrats are hitting the airwaves to target Florida Gov. Charlie Crist in a new ad launching Thursday, the first salvo in what is likely to be a sharply contested Senate race in 2010.

In the new ad called "Mess," the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee blames Crist for Florida's flailing economy and foreclosure crisis, and says, "Instead of working to fix it, Charlie Crist wants to quit to go to Washington."

Crist, whose approval ratings hover above 60 percent according to several recent polls, is said to be strongly considering a bid to succeed Sen. Mel Martinez - the one term Republican who announced late last year he would not seek reelection.

"Crist enjoys being governor when he attends basketball games and super bowl activities and when he takes over sixty days off with no schedule," the ad's narrator says. "But now, the job's getting tough and Crist wants out- leaving Floridians with the mess."

The ad, in what is described as a "significant" buy, will begin airing in the Tallahassee market and could expand to other parts of the state.

The popular Crist has emerged as the Florida Republican Party's top choice to run for the seat after former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ruled out the possibility of running earlier this year.

On the Democratic side, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, the early frontrunner, also has said she will not run for the seat. U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek and state Rep. Dan Gelber have both said they are running.

Responding to the ad, National Republican Senatorial Committee Press Secretary Amber Wilkerson said, “The DSCC obviously knows they’re in trouble in Florida because this reeks of desperation."

“Too bad they haven’t learned that voters in the Sunshine State are looking for real solutions, accountability, and checks and balances in Washington – not another round of pithy negative attacks," she added.

Obama will headline a fundraiser for the DSCC and the DCCC.

(CNN) - The Democratic Senate and congressional campaign committees will not accept cash from political action organizations or lobbyists during a fundraiser to be headlined by President Obama, a Democratic source confirms to CNN.

The White House stipulated the condition for the major June 18 fundraising event, expected to raise millions for 2010 Senate and congressional candidates.

Obama banned PAC and lobbyist donations during the presidential campaign to square with his pledge to limit the influence of special interests in Washington. He instituted a similar rule at the Democratic National Committee after winning the White House.

But both the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee - which along with their GOP counterparts have historically relied on PAC and lobbyist contributions - will return to accepting such funds after the Obama fundraiser.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee will give $100,000 in donations received from Bernie Madoff to the victims of his multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme, a DSCC spokesman confirmed Friday.

DSCC spokesman Eric Schultz said the organization is giving the money to a trust established for Madoff's victims.

"It was under review. Now that the review is completed, we've decided to give the money to the trustee for distribution to the victims," Schultz said.

Madoff and his wife, Ruth, had contributed $238,200 to political candidates since 1991, with 88 percent of that money going to Democrats, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The convicted Ponzi scheme mastermind gave four separate contributions of $25,000 to the DSCC from 2005 to 2008.

Freeman is making a pitch for the DSCC.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Senate Democrats have enlisted actor Morgan Freeman in a new fundraising pitch - telling potential donors that electing more Democrats to the Senate will help President Obama enact his legislative agenda.

“The DSCC has already begun the crucial work of recruiting the best candidates to make sure President Obama has strong Senate support throughout his first term,” Freeman said in an e-mail pitch on behalf of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “Starting strong today is essential to victory on Election Day. And they need our support now to do it right.”

The DSCC is the political arm of the Senate Democratic caucus. Democrats control the chamber by a 58 to 41 seat margin which could increase to 59 if former Republican Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota is unsuccessful in contesting the results of the November election. If Democrats are able to increase their majority to 60 in the 2010 elections, then they will be able to prevent Republicans from stalling or stopping legislation from moving through the Senate.

Van Hollen is chairman of the DCCC.

(CNN) - The top Democrat charged with helping his party maintain control of the House in 2008 warned Tuesday congressional candidates could suffer if the Democratic presidential race turns overly negative.

Speaking at a press briefing with reporters, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen predicted the Democrats will pick up House seats in November, but said the ongoing contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama remains a "variable."

"We've seen the energy and excitement in the early Democratic primaries, and the only thing that could hurt or cut back on that is if the Democratic primary gets so divisive that it's difficult to patch it up and heal the wounds in time to be together in November," said Van Hollen, who has not endorsed either candidate.

"We need to make sure that both candidates stay positive so you don't leave lasting wounds that will depress in anyway that kind of energy and enthusiasm," he added. "I don't think we are at that point. I do think there is a danger of reaching that point."

At the same briefing, Clinton backer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Chuck Schumer sounded a less dire tone, saying the hotly-contested race will benefit the party come November.

“Each is getting to refine their message and battle test their campaigns in this primary," he said. "I don't think any damaging blows have been landed by one or the other, and damaging to the general election, and I think both are very strong candidates."