Kamala’s Expensive Campaign Debt Weighs Down Democrats While GOP Fundraising Gains Momentum

Financial Disparity for DNC Amid Midterm Cycle

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is starting the midterm elections at a considerable financial disadvantage compared to Republicans. This comes partly due to unpaid debts from Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign and a noticeable lack of enthusiasm from donors.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) recently reported that it raised $10.7 million, leaving them with a robust $86 million in cash as of September. In contrast, the DNC was able to bring in $10.3 million but only has $12 million available.

One major hurdle for the DNC is the lingering debt from Harris’ unsuccessful campaign, which managed to exhaust $1.5 billion in just 107 days. In September alone, the DNC had to pay $1.6 million to meet campaign obligations, pushing the total repayments related to this campaign over $20 million.

This financial struggle reflects a broader discontent among donors regarding the DNC’s current direction. Earlier this year, many donors showed disinterest in a fundraiser hosted in San Francisco featuring Harris, which led to disappointing results for the party. It was noted that the party has been grappling with internal divisions, especially following the president’s significant loss.

In mid-2025, gun control advocate David Hogg, who became one of the DNC’s vice chairs in February, was removed from his position in June due to pushback after suggesting a primary challenge against the incumbent party. Media reports have surfaced showing DNC Chairman Ken Martin expressing doubts about Hogg’s leadership amidst these internal disputes.

As tensions rise, some Democratic leaders are growing frustrated with Martin for allegedly not providing enough support to Zoran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist running for mayor of New York City. Key figures such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer haven’t endorsed Mamdani yet, just weeks after the election.

Interestingly, while the DNC struggles, certain House and Senate committees are performing better than the national party itself. In fact, the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee has almost exceeded the National Republican Senatorial Committee by raising $2 million in the third quarter of 2025.

Many major Democratic donors are choosing to invest directly in individual candidates rather than the national committee. Notably, candidates like Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey are seeing significant fundraising success. Moreover, there’s considerable financial backing going toward redistricting efforts in California.