In November, the National Republican Congressional Committee put out a memo dedicated in part to boasting about some of its new recruits, who, it said, would help expand the GOP’s razor-thin majority in the House.
“Republicans are in a strong position to expand the map and compete in [President Joe] Biden-won districts because of spectacular GOP recruits,” said the memo from House Republicans’ campaign arm.
“Yet for the campaign arm of House Democrats, candidate recruitment paints a picture of doom and gloom. Plagued by retreads, progressive firebrands, and messy primaries, House Democratic recruitment is the polar opposite of GOP recruits.”
The dozen Republican candidates touted by the memo were notable for their diversity — the group included four women and two African Americans, as well as an Indian American competing for a seat in Kansas.
“Strong candidates with compelling backgrounds that match the life stories and experiences of voters are able to compete to win in tough districts where top-of-the-ticket Democrats will be presumed to be victorious,” the memo said.
But early in the election year, with still a long but quickly shrinking runway remaining, all of the dozen recruits the NRCC cited as “top GOP recruits running in target races” are well behind their Democratic opponents in terms of cash on hand, according to federal election filings.
As of Dec. 31, the latest data available, Democrats had an average cash-on-hand advantage of over $1 million in those races — $1,169,654, to be exact.
“The NRCC’s recruiting of far-right extremists to run for Congress has so far produced campaigns that are landing like lead balloons,” said Viet Shelton, a spokesperson for the NRCC’s competitor, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Republicans hold a narrow majority of 219 to 212 in the House, a margin that will narrow further when New York Democrat Tom Suozzi is sworn in to replace expelled GOP Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), as…
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