Democrats Quickly Raised $80M After Court Overturned Roe

WASHINGTON-

In the first week after the Supreme Court stripped women of their constitutional right to have an abortion, Democrats and aligned groups raised more than $80 million, a tangible early sign that the ruling may embolden voters.

But party officials say donors are giving much of that money to national campaigns and causes rather than to state office races, where abortion policy will now be shaped as a result of the court’s decision. That’s where Republicans wield disproportionate power after more than a decade of pouring money and resources into critical but often overlooked races.

The fundraising disparity offers an example of how a lack of long-term planning can lead to both a structural disadvantage and an exasperated Democratic base. Short of the votes to pass legislation through a deadlocked and closely divided Congress, abortion rights now appear to be the last issue largely ceded to the states. That’s after failed efforts by Democrats to expand voting rights, limit rigging and significantly toughen gun laws.

“We can no longer afford Democrats’ systemic neglect of negative election contests, not when Republicans are eager to meddle in our health care, bedroom and marriage decisions,” said Gabrielle Chew, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which helps fund state legislative races. “This should be a wake up call.”

The massive $80 million fundraiser was recorded by ActBlue, the Democrats’ online fundraising platform, which has a real-time gauge showing the money passing through the organization. ActBlue raised more than $20 million in the first 24 hours after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that made abortion a constitutional right. By Tuesday, the group had processed more than $51 million in donations and by Friday, the total had reached $80 million.

In fact, every major Democratic campaign committee reported an increase in contributions after the ruling, including those working on races at the state and federal levels. Planned Parenthood, too. But few have been willing to release hard numbers.

WinRed, the GOP’s online fundraising portal, has not responded to an inquiry about the party’s fundraising since the court’s decision.

The fundraising disparity is nothing new between Democratic groups working for state candidates and those focusing on national issues after a defining moment. For example, ActBlue raised more than $71 million in just 24 hours after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a small portion of which went to groups working on statewide campaigns.

Consider the case of Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison, who in 2020 broke fundraising records in his bid to unseat Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and address Congress in Washington. Harrison ended up losing the race by more than 10 points. He raised more than $57 million in the final months of his campaign, including a 24-hour period in which he raised more than $1 million.

But for the state chambers? The Democratic Governors Association announced it had raised $200,000 after the court’s decision last week. The organization said Thursday that it was on track to raise $1 million before the start of the long Fourth of July weekend, which is less than the other committees focused on national races.

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which raises money for state elections across the country, declined to say how much it has raised since the court decision. But its past fundraising numbers demonstrate just how thin the group’s resources are.

The DLCC raised $650,000 within 48 hours of a leaked copy of the court decision appearing in May. Earlier this year, he celebrated when he announced that he had raised almost $6 million in the last three months of last year.

Its Republican counterpart, the Republican State Leadership Committee, more than doubled its fundraising during the same period last year.

“When Democrats (go) 1-1 with Republicans in legislative races, we win them,” said Greg Goddard, a Florida Democrat who raises money for national and state campaigns. “But when it’s 3-1, or 4-1, they hit us.”

Amanda Litman, co-founder of the group Run For Something, which recruits candidates for school board, city council and legislature races, said Democrats have a woeful track record when it comes to investing in negative-ballot races that also build a bank of futures. talents.

“The worst laws will come from the reddest states and won’t stay on the borders of those red states. So what are you going to do to mitigate the damage?” Litman said after the abortion ruling. “I want to see Joe Biden raising funds for the DLCC and the DGA.”

The Democratic fundraising ecosystem typically rewards social media stars, those who appear on popular liberal shows like Rachel Maddow, or candidates who go viral online. That’s extremely difficult for candidates in races that don’t attract much attention away from home, like most congressional races.

Meanwhile, the big dollar donors have historically donated to national candidates or groups focused on the presidency or Congress.

Still, some Democrats bristle at the suggestion that negative electoral contests don’t get enough attention.

Sam Newton, a spokesman for the governors’ association, said he has his own success story to tell. Democratic candidates in key states saw big increases in donations after the court’s decision, he said. The group has also closed a 2-to-1 fundraising gap with Republicans that existed less than a decade ago, reaching parity last year.

Planned Parenthood is part of a joint effort with abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America and EMILY’s List, which supports women running for public office, which plans to spend $150 million up and down the ballot in the 2022 midterm elections, said Jenny Lawson, executive director of Votes for Planned Parenthood.

Gubernatorial races will be a major focus, he said, citing Michigan and Wisconsin, in particular, where laws banning abortion have been in place for decades. (Michigan’s law dates from 1931; Wisconsin’s from 1849.) Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, both Democrats, face tough re-election battles.

“Those governors have stood up in front of these Republican legislatures that want nothing more than to ban abortion and said ‘no,'” Lawson said. “These governors are on the front lines and we must protect them.”

But others are skeptical that the effort will extend outside of high-profile careers.

Litman said some party donors are getting excited about donating to downvote contests. But there remains a culture in the party, particularly among big donors, of chasing the “shiny, shiny thing,” he said. Meanwhile, Republicans treat political donations as a “business investment: You get your judges and tax cuts” and “spend the money patiently knowing it will be worth it,” he said.

“We have to balance our immediate short-term electoral goals with a long-term mission to win back these seats,” Litman said.

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