DSCC beats GOP for third consecutive fundraising quarter

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee far outraised its Republican counterpart in September, beating the GOP for the third consecutive quarter, according to numbers released Friday.

The DSCC pulled in $5.9 million in September, bringing its third-quarter total to $10.2 million. So far this year, the Democrats' Senate campaign arm has raised about $33.3 million.

Meanwhile, the National Republican Senatorial Committee pulled in $3.2 million last month, bringing its year-to-date receipts to $29.7 million.

The DSCC has nearly twice the amount of money in the bank — $10.3 million — as the NRSC does. Democrats greatly improved their cash-on-hand position, while Republicans ended September with a bank balance of $5.2 million.

But the DSCC still has at least some debt; through the end of August, the committee had outstanding obligations of $2.9 million. The DSCC spent $2.5 million last month, meaning it will still carry some debt to next month. A spokesman was not immediately available to discuss the committee's debt situation.

Both parties are bragging about their cash hauls. Republicans say they have added nearly 130,000 low-dollar donors to its database, giving it room to grow financially, and nearly twice the number of new donors the committee brought on in the entire year of 2007.

Democrats, meanwhile, have raised $1.5 million more than at the same point in 2005, the last midterm cycle. The following year, a spokesman pointed out, the party netted six new Senate seats.