2005 Six-month fundraising summary

Fundraising by party committees in the first half of the year increased over fundraising during recent comparable periods. Fundraising for congressional campaigns is also growing as the 2006 races get underway.

Party committees

During the first six months of 2005, federally registered Republican party committees raised $142.7 million and spent $98.1 million, while the Democratic committees raised $86.3 million and spent $60.2 million. This is a two percent increase in receipts for Republicans and a 53 percent increase for Democrats when compared to the same period in 2003.

Contributions from individuals constituted the bulk of the receipts for both parties. Democrats reported $63.6 million from individuals and $11.4 million from PACs, while Republicans reported $125.9 million from individuals and $11.7 million from PACs.

At the end of the reporting period, Democrats had $32.7 million in cash-on-hand and debts of $4.6 million. Republicans showed a cash-on-hand balance of $72.5 million and debts of about $800,000.

Congressional campaigns

Candidates seeking election to the 33 Senate seats up in 2006 raised $84.8 million and spent $20.2 million in the first six months of 2005. These Senate candidates ended the period with $103.1 million cash-on-hand and debts of $6.9 million, some of which remains from previous elections.

Campaign finance reports filed by House candidates during the same six-month period show 428 House incumbents reporting receipts of $116.5 million, a 25.5 percent increase from the comparable period in 2003. Republican incumbents reported median receipts of $245,137 compared to $188,745 for Democrats. The charts below detail both the total median receipts and the median receipts from individuals raised by incumbent House candidates through June 30 of the nonelection year, dating back to 2005.

Non-incumbents raised a total of $14.3 million for House races during the first six months of 2005, with 79 Democrats raising $6.8 million and 60 Republicans raising $7.5 million.

Additional information

More information on campaign finance statistics for the first six months of 2005 is available in press releases dated July 21, 2005, (party committees) and July 27, 2005, (congressional). The releases are available:

• On the FEC website at http://www.fec.gov/press/press2005/20050721party/20050721party.html and http://www.fec.gov/press/press2005/20050727candidate/20050727candidate.html;
• From the Public Disclosure Office (800-424-9530, press 2) and the Press Office (800-424-9530, press 1); and
• By fax through the FEC Faxline (202-501-3413).