The Republican National Committee closed 2025 with a sizable cash advantage, reporting $172 million raised and roughly $95 million on hand versus the Democratic National Committee's $145 million raised, $14 million available and about $17 million in debt. House-level fundraising was much closer—NRCC ended the year with about $117 million and House Democrats $115 million, with both committees entering 2026 near $50 million in cash. Senate committee totals were similar in scale, and party leaders offered competing interpretations of what the numbers mean for the midterms amid rapidly evolving events in early 2026.
RNC Enters 2026 With Nearly $100M Cash Advantage Over Democrats, FEC Filings Show
FILE - Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib listens at a campaign office, Oct. 18, 2024, in Hamtramck, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
WASHINGTON — Year-end Federal Election Commission filings show the Republican National Committee entered 2026 with a substantial financial edge over Democrats, underscoring a potentially consequential advantage heading into the 2026 midterm season.
Big Picture
The RNC reported $172 million raised in 2025 and about $95 million in cash on hand at the close of the year. By comparison, the Democratic National Committee reported $145 million raised in 2025 but had just $14 million cash on hand and roughly $17 million in debt, leaving the party technically underwater as the new year began.
House And Senate Campaign Arms
On the House side, the National Republican Congressional Committee finished 2025 with more than $117 million after a strong December that brought in about $13 million; the Democratic House campaign arm closed at roughly $115 million. According to the filings, both House committees started 2026 with about $50 million in cash available.
Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at DNC headquarters, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
In the Senate, the National Republican Senatorial Committee raised $88 million in 2025 and had $19.3 million on hand at year-end. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $79.8 million and finished with $21.7 million available.
Reactions And Context
'We’re going to have a war chest to run on,' House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said on 'Fox News Sunday,' calling the GOP totals a reason for optimism about defending and potentially expanding the party’s narrow House majority.
Viet Shelton, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, countered that momentum remains with Democrats, arguing the party has stronger candidates and messaging and suggesting Republicans are 'running scared.'
These totals cover the 2025 calendar year and predate a series of fast-moving events in early 2026 — including a U.S. military action involving Venezuela and the fatal shootings of two protesters in Minneapolis tied to immigration-enforcement demonstrations — any of which could reshape donor and voter sentiment going forward.
Overall, the filings paint a picture of Republican financial strength as the midterm campaign season begins, but the landscape remains fluid and subject to change as new developments unfold.
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