WASHINGTON — After securing an unprecedented off-year fundraising haul during 2019, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee raised a record $2 million this January. This is the DLCC’s strongest January on record and is one of the clearest signs of Democratic momentum in the states this cycle.
“We’re kicking off this crucial election year in our best position ever,” said DLCC President Jessica Post. “With gridlock in Washington and redistricting just around the corner, state legislative elections are more important than ever. Democrats are going on complete offense this year and we have the resources to challenge Republicans’ fragile majorities across the country.”
In January, the DLCC launched its 2020 Flip Everything campaign and announced plans to spend $50 million on state legislative elections this cycle, five times the amount the committee spent in 2010. The committee plans to target 19 Republican-held chambers in 13 states across the country this November.
The DLCC’s record-breaking fundraising streak has allowed the committee to make early investments across the target map, helping state partners recruit strong candidates and lay the groundwork for successful campaigns this November. Early commitments by the DLCC were a crucial component of Democrats’ successful campaign to flip the Virginia General Assembly from red to blue last year, a model the DLCC plans to replicate across the country this year.
The Republican State Leadership Committee, fresh off spending more than $3 million to lose their majorities in Virginia, boasted about their own January fundraising. But the RSLC reported raising just $1.6 million — an inauspicious start for state Republicans, who are playing defense across the country this year and have few, if any, realistic offensive targets.
Republicans are increasingly sounding the alarm about Democrats’ renewed focus on state legislatures this year, warning that they cannot take their majorities for granted. Democrats’ fundraising parity with Republicans represents a profound reversal from a decade ago.
“Democrats learned in 2010 what happens when we neglect the down ballot, and we’re not about to let that happen again,” added Post. “The DLCC is leading the way to make sure that our candidates can build strong campaigns and win across the country this November.”
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