With the odds of reclaiming the US House of Representatives growing, House Democrats are celebrating their largest ever January fundraising total.
House Democrats raised an impressive $9.3 million in January, with an average individual donation of only $18. Democrats raised $9.5 in December.
But January's fundraising record is only the latest financial surge exciting Democrats. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised a whopping $105.4 milliomillion in 2017. The previous year to come close to that, 2015, saw a fundraising total of $68.3 million. That's a near 50 percent increase in fundraising in two years. Their GOP counterparts raised $85 million in 2017.
For Democrats, this is raising their hopes of reclaiming Congress's lower chamber. Trump fatigue and a surprisingly high number of Republicans announcing retirement is adding to Democrats' optimism. Twenty-five House Republicans have announced their intent to retire this year, compared to only nine Democrats.
Democrats need to gain a net 24 seats to retake control of the US House of Representatives. Democrats are surging in special elections and doing well in general election polls leading up to the 2018 midterm elections, though some polls have tightened in recent weeks. President Donald Trump's tax cuts and an economy with near-full employment may be the catalysts for the closing enthusiasm gap.
Still, the impressive amount of money pouring into the DCCC could be a better indication of what's to come in November. Polls have earned a reputation of being unreliable. At the end of the 2016 presidential race, Trump had only a 28.6 percent chance of winning the presidency, according to Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight. In fact, Silver gave the odds of Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote and losing the Electoral College at only 10.5 percent.
We all know how that worked out.
Another promising development for Democrats are the state Supreme Court orders to redraw redistricts in heavily gerrymandered states such as Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
If Democrats manage to win back the House, Nancy Pelosi is likely to reclaim the gavel as Speaker of the House.
