RNC raises $6.9M in January

The Republican National Committee (RNC) raised $6.9 million in January and has $7.1 million cash on hand, it announced Wednesday afternoon.

The RNC, which did not take on debt at the end of the election cycle, is in much better financial shape than the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which went heavily into debt to help finance its wins in 2012. It's common for party committees to go into debt at the end of election cycles and pay off that debt with early fundraising the next year.

The DNC has yet to release January numbers. At the end of 2012, the DNC had $4.3 million cash on hand and carried $21.5 million in debt.

Fundraising has been a strength of the RNC during the tenure of Chairman Reince Priebus, though the committee struggled in other areas, especially with its turnout operation, in 2012. Committee officials are seeking to address that with the new Growth and Opportunity Project, which is designed to expand outreach to minority communities and improve the RNC's ground game.

"As we work to build and grow the party, we remain committed to spending our money wisely and are grateful to our donors and supporters," Priebus said in a statement. "Together, we're working to take the Republican message of economic opportunity to every voter in every neighborhood. And with the help of the Growth and Opportunity Project, we're laying the foundation for future Republican victories."

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