House Democrats’ campaign arm signed off on a $25 million line of credit — among the largest it’s ever opened — early last week as the party stretches itself to take advantage of an increasingly favorable electoral environment.
Last month, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent $46.5 million, according to its most recent report to the Federal Election Commission. That dropped the DCCC’s total cash on hand to $55.8 million, a decrease of around $20 million from the beginning of September.
The credit line could help the organization keep its pace heading into Election Day.
DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton told The Washington Sun that the “amount is in line with how much we normally do, adjusted for Trump inflation.”
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“As is normal for every cycle over the last decade, we’ve taken out a line of credit to help manage our cash flow,” Shelton said. “It will ensure we can finish the cycle strong and win the largest majority possible.”
The DCCC won’t necessarily use all of its $25 million credit line, which it filed with the FEC on Tuesday. The committee put up “all current and future assets” as collateral.
The DCCC last established a $25 million credit line during the 2022 cycle, according to FEC filings. The organization ended up using $20 million of the credit line at that time.
In 2024, the DCCC fully utilized the $20 million credit line it established. Like this cycle, DCCC Executive Director Julie Merz similarly signed off on that credit line in mid-October, according to a 2024 FEC filing.
Earlier this month, the DCCC told donors that it needed to quickly raise $17 million by this Thursday to further expand its potential majority next year.
The pro-Democrat House Majority PAC is making a similar argument, pointing to districts that President Donald Trump won by up to 21 points in 2024 that are now within the margin of error in polling.
“Translating that potential into additional victories will require resources to reach voters and make the case against vulnerable Republicans in the final sprint to Election Day,” the House Majority PAC told donors in a private memo shared with The Sun.
In the Senate, Republican groups are using their cash advantage to try to protect the GOP’s majority. The National Republican Senatorial Committee also took out $20 million in loans last month, which it argued to Politico would supplement its “record-breaking resources.”
“We’re going to throw everything we can at protecting our Republican Senate Majority, and we’re going to win,” the group told Politico.
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