Updated April 21, 2026 — House Republicans’ campaign arm posted its biggest opening quarter ever, the National Republican Congressional Committee announced, reporting $47.1 million raised in the first three months of the year and a record $28.1 million in March alone. The NRCC says it has $78.2 million cash on hand and $164.4 million raised for the 2026 cycle.
NRCC Chairman Rep. Richard Hudson framed the haul as evidence of momentum as Republicans defend a slim House majority. Hudson, who represents North Carolina’s 9th District, said Republican donors “are investing” and called the fundraising numbers a sign that the party can hold the House in November. He described the competitive map as limited to roughly 30–40 truly contested seats.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reported a slightly smaller first-quarter total of $45.3 million. The DCCC says it has raised $160.6 million this cycle and has about $70 million on hand. DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington said Democrats have the “momentum, message and resources” to retake the House and pointed to voter concern over the cost of living as an advantage for her party.
Hudson credited former President Donald Trump with helping drive NRCC fundraising, including a Washington dinner the committee says generated nearly $37 million. He said he speaks with Trump regularly and meets with him about once a month to discuss House races. Trump has also campaigned recently in battleground states encouraging supporters to help “win the midterms.”
Democrats say recent special elections and other contests show their side gaining ground. Former senior DNC official Hyma Moore pointed to Democratic overperformance in several races and argued pocketbook concerns give Democrats a positive path into November.
Polling highlights underscore vulnerabilities for Republicans: roughly two-thirds of Americans say the economy is in poor shape; about 65% disapprove of President Trump’s handling of the economy and nearly 70% disapprove of his job on inflation. The president’s overall approval has been in the low 40s in recent CBS News polls and hit a low of 39% earlier in April.
Hudson acknowledged that economic issues will remain important but argued Republican policies will improve Americans’ lives compared with the Biden years, blaming President Joe Biden for earlier inflation and gas-price spikes. He also emphasized that national polls don’t decide individual House contests and stressed the importance of candidate quality and the larger number of Democratic seats at risk.
Outside GOP-aligned groups also reported strong fundraising. The Congressional Leadership Fund super PAC and the American Action Network have together raised nearly $193 million this cycle, the NRCC noted. Speaker Mike Johnson raised a record $34 million in Q1 and has now brought in more than $116 million in hard dollars for House Republicans this cycle. The NRCC highlighted early contributions from vulnerable GOP incumbents it calls “NRCC Patriots.”
Democrats pointed to specific districts where challengers outraised incumbents in the quarter: in Pennsylvania, Janelle Stelson raised $2.2 million to Rep. Scott Perry’s $1.1 million; in Arizona, JoAnna Mendoza raised $2.4 million, more than double Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s haul; and in Wisconsin’s 3rd District, Rebecca Cooke raised $2.4 million compared with Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s $1.3 million.
On the Senate side, several Democratic contenders outraised Republican opponents. In Texas, Democratic nominee James Talarico reported $27 million in Q1 — the largest first-quarter total ever recorded by a Senate candidate — and in Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff raised $14 million and has $31.7 million cash on hand, according to FEC filings.
Anne Bryson contributed reporting to this piece.