Fundraising

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee touted a record-breaking fundraising month Friday, revealing a $2.63 million January total and reporting $2.6 million in cash on hand. 

It's the largest first-month haul in an off-year in the committee's history, but both the DSCC and its Republican counterpart still have to climb out from under sizable debt left over from the 2010 cycle. 

Even with a solid fundraising month for Democrats, the National Republican Senatorial Committee outraised the DSCC by some $200,000 in January. The NRSC raised $2.86 million for the month and reported $483,000 in cash on hand. 

The NRSC mocked the Democrats' January haul Friday afternoon, highlighting the DSCC's $8.7 million debt. That's just over $2 million more than the $6.5 million debt reported by the NRSC. 

NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh argued that despite the DSCC's edge in cash on hand, once you factor in the difference in the debt, "both committees are on similar financial footing."

Democrats have 23 seats to defend in 2012 as they try to hang onto their slim Senate majority. The Friday announcement of Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) that he will not run for re-election next year is another early blow, setting up a more competitive open-seat race in that state. 

"Senate Democrats will prevail this cycle by raising the resources needed to wage aggressive campaigns in each of our targeted states," DSCC Executive Director Guy Cecil said in a statement Friday. "Our supporters are energized when they see Democrats focused on growing jobs and Republicans on everything but."

A federal grand jury indicted two Virginia men on Wednesday for allegedly trying to illegally reimburse donors.

Republican John Dennis, who raised some $2.5 million in his 2010 challenge to then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), is launching a political action committee.  

Despite coming up well short in his race against Pelosi, Dennis garnered national attention thanks to solid fundraising and catchy Web ads — one of which labeled Pelosi the "Wicked Witch of the West."  

The libertarian Republican has an ally in Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who endorsed his bid against Pelosi, and Dennis is promoting his new Freedom & Prosperity PAC at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, this week.  

Dennis said the PAC will support "liberty-oriented candidates," and that he has another issue-oriented organization in the works — either a 501(c) or 527.    

As far as winning his backing — it won't be easy. Dennis slammed the new House Republican leadership for not displaying a real backbone on spending cuts, calling the $32 billion initially proposed by House leaders "nonsense."  

Three icons of the conservative movement are uniting for a fundraiser in California.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Joe "The Plumber" Wurzelbacher and former Alaska Senate candidate Joe Miller are set to appear at a March 24 fundraiser billed as "an evening you won't forget."

Tickets range from $212 to $2,012. The money raised goes to the Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama, a group organized by the California-based Tea Party Express.

"All attendees to the fundraiser will receive complimentary refreshments and hors d'oeuvres," according to a release. "Also, all guests will be present for the unveiling of the debut television ad for the Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama, and a presentation outlining the strategy to win back the White House in 2012."

The event is being held at a private home in Montara, Calif.

"I'm determined not to let them destroy our movement," Tea Party star and former GOP Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell said.

For members likely to face tough re-election races next year, getting out from under that debt quickly will be a test.

The Federal Election Commission announced an increase Thursday in the individual contribution limits for the 2011-2012 election cycle.

Individuals will now be able to contribute $2,500 per candidate, per election to those running for House, Senate and the presidency. That's an increase of $100 from the 2010 cycle. 

The limit on donations to national party committees will also increase from $30,400 during the last election cycle to $30,800 this cycle. 

A full breakdown of the new limits is available on the FEC's website.    

In all, individuals will be able to contribute a combined $117,000 overall to candidates, party committees and political action committees. That's up from $115,500 last cycle.

The limits are raised by the FEC before every election cycle to adjust for inflation.

Fresh off outraising every potential GOP White House contender last year, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is heaping money on Republicans in the House and Senate. 

Romney's Free and Strong America PAC donated nearly $130K to Republicans on Thursday, including donations to four GOP senators who are up for reelection in 2012 and another 10 whose seats aren't up until 2016. 

Romney's largest donation Thursday — $10,000 — went to Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.). He also gave $5,000 each to Sens. Bob Corker (Tenn.), John Barrasso (Wy.) and Jon Kyl (Ariz.). 

Among the others Romney's PAC donated to are Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). Neither senator faces reelection until 2016, but both hail from key early primary states. 

The PAC also donated $2,000 each to an additional 37 House Republicans. 

For Romney, the donations are both a continuation of his pattern during the 2010 election cycle and an early reminder to potential White House hopefuls of his hefty bank account. 

A review of his committee's FEC filings show that during 2010, Romney donated to the campaigns of more than 70 Republican congressional candidates, giving to the overwhelming majority of those who make up the new freshman class in the House.  

Romney raised a total of $6.3 million between his federal and state-based political action committees in 2010, ending the year with $1.4 million in cash on hand. It was easily the largest total of any rumored hopeful. 

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's PAC, in comparison, raised $3.5 million during 2010, ending the year with $1.3 million in cash on hand.

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) is sitting on a war chest of just over $3 million heading into the 2012 election cycle, raising $260K in the final quarter of 2010. 

Nelson's cash-on-hand number places him at the top among Senate Democrats staring down tough reelection contests in 2012. 

Democratic Sens. Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Jon Tester (Mont.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Ben Nelson (Neb.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio) and Jim Webb (Va.) all reported less than $1.5 million on hand to start the year.  

Most of the early numbers don’t measure up to those several of their Senate colleagues posted ahead of the past cycle. At the start of 2009, Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) all had more than $2.5 million in cash on hand.

Nelson will need every penny and more next year to fend off what's expected to be a strong Republican challenge, but he starts in solid financial shape. 

Florida State Senate President Mike Haridopolos has already jumped into the race, with Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) and former Sen. George LeMieux (R-Fla.) also weighing bids. 

Mack raised just $17K between Nov. 23 and Dec. 31, according to his year-end filing with the Federal Election Commission. Mack reported $409K in cash on hand.  

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee starts the 2012 election cycle still carrying $19 million of debt after a brutal election cycle that saw Republicans pick up 63 seats and reclaim the House majority. 

The DCCC reported $805,000 cash on hand to end the year and raised $1.68 million between Nov. 23 and Dec. 31. 

It's not a great start for the party's House campaign arm, but its Republican counterpart also begins the year with a sizable debt. 

The National Republican Congressional Committee reported $10.5 million in debt in its year-end filing to the Federal Election Commission. The committee has paid off some $1.5 million of its debt since Election Day.  

The NRCC ended the year with $2.5 million cash on hand -- a sizable edge over the DCCC -- but managed to just outraise Dems between Nov. 23 and Dec. 31, pulling in $1.88 million.