Democratic Lawmakers Relish a Financial Edge

Democrats in the House and Senate, who once believed Republicans might enjoy a permanent financial advantage in campaigns, say they are stunned to find that their campaign committees have more money going into this fall’s elections, despite their minority status in both chambers.

Fund-raisers attribute this reversal of fortune partly to heavy spending by the two Republican campaign organizations on overhead expenses such as consultants, and partly to the unprecedented amount of GOP money that Texas Gov. George W. Bush has siphoned into the presidential race.

Democratic officials also said that congressional leaders had been “more ruthless,” as one operative put it, in demanding that their members raise big dollars for the party by appearing at events and working the telephone.

“It’s good to be a Democrat and not be out-smoked on money,” said Jim Jordan, political director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “We’re not used to this. We’re used to having to make up for a money shortage with turnout efforts.”

The most recent evidence of the new Democratic financial muscle lies in figures released Tuesday by the House campaign committees. House Democrats had $15 million more in the bank on June 30 than House Republicans, which Democratic strategists believe is a huge step toward picking up the six seats it will take to depose the Republican leadership.

“Donors around the country see winning the House back as a very doable proposition, so we’re getting money from folks in the past who might have focused more on the White House or the Senate races,” said David A. Plouffe, executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “It’s a position we didn’t expect to be in, and I think it puts the Republicans in a big, deep, strategic hole.”

Senate Democrats had $7 million more in the bank than Senate Republicans when they made their last reports to the Federal Election Commission, which reflected activity through May 31.

Stuart D. Roy, communications director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said GOP strategists expect to make up the shortfall before the election.

“Democrats are doing a much better job of fund-raising than they have in the past, as are we,” Roy said. “We’re raising and netting more than ever, but it’s definitely more competitive than before. It’s probably not bad to light a fire under us.”

For the second quarter, House Democrats raised $14.8 million and had $37.4 million in the bank. House Republicans actually raised more in the second quarter--$18.4 million--but had just $22.2 million left to spend.