NRSC raised $5.75M in March, has almost $20M in the bank

Senate Republicans collected more than $5.75 million in March and a total of $15 million over the first three months of 2012.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has $19.6 million in the bank heading into April and has cleared out its debt, the committee announced Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said it had raised $7.4 million in March, bringing its total cash on hand to almost $24 million and setting a record for its first-quarter haul.

The NRSC's March haul was about $1.5 million more than it raised during the same month in 2008. The DSCC also had a larger cash advantage over the NRSC at this point in the last presidential cycle than it does in 2012.

Aided by conservative outside groups that have already spent millions of dollars attacking incumbent Democrats, Republicans are aiming to lay the groundwork to flip the four seats they need to regain control of the Senate in November (if President Obama is reelected).

The NRSC has already reserved $25 million in television airtime for the fall in six key states, with plans to purchase more in the future.

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