Democratic challengers to Republican incumbents in the House of Representatives are in better financial shape, Politico reported.
Forty-three House Republicans brought in less money than Democrat challengers in the first three months of 2018, according to Politico's analysis of the latest Federal Election Commission filings.
Republican consultant Ken Spain, who was the National Republican Congressional Committee's communications director in 2010 said these fundraising totals could indicate a poor showing for the GOP in the 2018 midterm elections.
"The members who are getting outraised at this stage of the election cycle are the ones who present the biggest risk to the Republican majority," Spain told Politico. "Fundraising is an outgrowth of intensity, so I think this tells you that Republicans are clearly swimming upstream in a challenging election cycle."
Republican strategist Chris LaCivita told the website that some incumbents "still haven't gotten the memo."
"Members, sometimes, get lost in this perception that everyone in the district knows how great they're doing. And then they're surprised on Election Day when they lose," LaCivita said.
Incumbents who are being out-raised include some who have been considered vulnerable, including Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., Rep. Jason Lewis, R-Minn., and Rep. Rod Blum, R-Iowa, Politico reported.
For some, it might be too late to get funding help from the party, one strategist told the website. "Key decisions are being made right now on where money will be spent this cycle, and I'd be pretty worried if I were one of these members."
The Congressional Leadership Fund had announced plans for $38 million in TV ads, and almost all of the candidates who have been outraised were skipped over, Politico reported.
"It's inexcusable for an incumbent to be outraised," said Corry Bliss, executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund, in Politico.
Some Republicans are doing well, however, including Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., and Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va. Both have brought in more than $1 million in districts that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton won in 2016, Politico reported.
Republicans can still count on the fundraising of retiring House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who said Tuesday he will concentrate on raising money for since he does not have to focus on his own reelection.
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