House Republicans Rake In Funds As They Seek To Stave Off Midterm Headwinds

Vulnerable House Republicans put up strong fundraising numbers in the last quarter of 2025, a bright spot as the party faces headwinds in its battle to maintain control of the House.

New campaign finance filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission show incumbent battleground House Republicans slightly outraised their Democratic counterparts on average at the end of 2025 — with a handful of GOP members in hotly contested races building up major war chests entering the midterm year.

Republicans face challenges as they seek to hold onto their narrow majority in the House. Recent generic ballot polling has favored Democrats and Democrats have regularly run well ahead of their 2024 presidential numbers in special elections, including a win in a state Senate contest in Texas Saturday night.

Five House Republicans in seats targeted by national Democrats raised at least $1 million in the fourth quarter of 2025. By contrast, Democrats targeted by the GOP largely put up respectable but less eye-popping numbers. Only one vulnerable Democrat, Rep. Eugene Vindman of Virginia, raised more than $1 million in the fourth quarter.

Thanks to strong fundraising, seven vulnerable GOP members had at least $3 million in the bank at the end of the year, led by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), who had a whopping more than $7.3 million cash on hand. Meanwhile, just three Democrats targeted by national Republicans had at least $3 million cash on hand.

The House fundraising landscape also differs from the Senate map, where Democrats face a steeper climb to retaking the chamber but outraised Republicans in most key races at the end of last year.

While money is not the end-all, and outside groups play a huge role in the overall spending equation, House Republicans’ strong fundraising entering 2026 stands in contrast to the past two midterm cycles, when their candidates were generally outraised by Democrats. The National Republican Congressional Committee also outraised the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in an odd year for the first time since 2015, $117 million to $115 million.

Overall, the average Republican seeking reelection in a seat targeted by the DCCC raised $646,000 in the fourth quarter while the average Democrat seeking reelection in races targeted by the NRCC raised $612,000, according to a POLITICO analysis.

POLITICO’s analysis included seats identified as offensive targets by the two party’s House campaign arms where incumbents are running for reelection. Those figures do not include challengers, who may have to get through primaries.

When it comes to the general election battleground fight, it’s not yet clear which side has an advantage.

A few Republican challengers did come close to or exceeded Democratic incumbents. Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) was outraised in the fourth quarter by Republican state Sen. Carrie Ann Buck, who brought in $352,00 compared to $299,000 for the congresswoman, though Titus still had the cash on hand advantage, $841,000 to $297,000. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), who was pardoned by Trump in December, brought in $260,000 in the fourth quarter compared to $212,000 for GOP challenger Tano Tijerina.

“House Republicans are running laps around Democrats because we have unstoppable momentum and a winning message. We’re charging full steam ahead to grow our majority in November,” NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella said in a statement.

In other battleground races, Democratic challengers closed in on or even out-paced their GOP rivals in fundraising, even if the Republicans held the edge in cash on hand. Democrat Rebecca Cooke, who is mounting a repeat bid to unseat GOP Rep. Derrick Van Orden in western Wisconsin, hauled in $1.2 million last quarter and had $2.5 million in the bank. Van Orden raised $931,000 and had $2.7 million stashed away to start the year.

“House Republicans are running scared, and they should be,” DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton said in a statement. He added: “Going into the on-year, momentum is on our side — and with better candidates, a better message, and the public souring on Republicans, Democrats are poised to take back the majority.”

In Iowa, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks was narrowly outraised by her Democratic challenger, Christina Bohannan, who is trying for a third time to unseat her. Bohannan brought in a little over $1.1 million while the Republican finished just under that marker. Miller-Meeks had more cash on hand, with nearly $3.4 million to Bohannan’s $2.3 million.

Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, a Democrat who is working to unseat Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.), raised $647,000 in the last quarter — just shy of Bresnahan’s $676,000 — though she had $807,000 in the bank compared to his $1.4 million.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) had a strong quarter, raising nearly $1.3 million fourth-quarter with $3.5 million in the bank to start the year as Democrats compete in a busy primary for the chance to face him. Self-funding Democrat Peter Chatzky poured $5 million of his own fortune into his bid, and has $5.5 million in the bank. The next-closest Democrat in fundraising in the crowded field was Cait Conley, who brought in $572,000 and had $1.2 million in cash on hand.

Some Republicans in redder seats that Democrats have identified as flip targets were not fundraising like they expected serious challenges. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tennessee) only brought in $151,000 and had just $62,000 in the bank at the end of 2025. Trump won his Nashville-area district by 18 points, but his likely Democratic challenger, Columbia, Tennessee, Mayor Chaz Molder, brought in $412,000 and had $978,000 cash on hand.

But a few Republican incumbents out-stripped their rivals in several races at the center of the House battlefield and where Democrats are facing contested primaries that could drain the party’s resources ahead of November.

In Colorado’s 8th District, Rep. Gabe Evans, a Republican, brought in $790,000 and had more than $2.5 million cash on hand. That puts him ahead of both of his main Democratic challengers, with state Rep. Manny Rutinel raising $428,000 and reporting $1.2 million cash on hand while state Rep. Shannon Bird raised $375,000 and had $763,000 cash on hand.

Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), who’s fighting to save his newly redrawn seat in California’s Central Valley, brought in roughly double the amount each of his Democratic rivals raised and had roughly four times as much money in the bank to start the year. Valadao raised $618,000 and had $2.1 million stashed away. Of the Democrats, progressive Randy Villegas raised $374,000 and had $538,000 in cash on hand, while Jasmeet Bains, a physician, raised just shy of $300,000 and had $438,000 in the bank.