Harris campaign spends $25 million to support down-ballot candidates

Harris-Walz Campaign and Democratic National Convention (DNC) Announced they commit to sending nearly $25 million to support candidates for the House of Representatives and Senate identified as Democrats within the downvotes,

The historic donation, announced Sept. 3, is listed as extra money than Democratic leaders have given in previous election years. In 2020, the DNC gave $5 million to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and $1 million to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. In 2024, $10 million each will go to committees supporting Democratic candidates for each positions, in addition to $2.5 million to a national Democratic group that supports state legislative candidates. Each group may also receive $1 million to support Democratic candidates for governor and attorney general.

Harris’ campaign has framed the funding as a mirrored image of how the vp is ready to allocate the wealth, given her groundbreaking fundraising efforts over the past six weeks. The earlier money gives the committees more scope for expenses, comparable to hiring staff, recording ads or printing flyers, which take time. , the campaign raised $540 million, leading to over 2,000 employees and 312 officesincluding key states, in cooperation with the DNC.

It also underscores how necessary the 2024 lower-level elections are, which align with how Harris or former President Donald Trump might govern after the inauguration. In a press release, Harris campaign chairwoman Jen O’Malley Dillon says the vp is committed to mobilizing the country — in any respect levels. “If we want a future where the rights of every American are protected, not taken away; where the middle class is strengthened, not hollowed out; and a country where our democracy is preserved, not torn apart, every race in November matters,” O’Malley Dillon said.

“The vice president believes this race is about mobilizing the entire country, at every level, to fight for our freedoms and our economic opportunity.”

In a press release, Senator Gary Peters (Democrat of Michigan), chairman Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) said the measures “will help Democratic senators reach more voters, strengthen the effectiveness of our campaigns, and ensure that Democrats protect their Senate majority.”

Democrats, who control the Senate 51-49, are searching for high voter turnout in blue states in hopes of taking the House. Democrats have eight fewer seats than the GOP. The Senate might be a much bigger challenge, with Republicans seemingly confident of winning a Democratic-held seat in West Virginia and several other Democratic incumbents in states including Ohio and Montana.

DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison said the strategy is somewhat similar to that utilized by President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign — counting on strong partnerships on Capitol Hill. “Like President Joe Biden before him, when Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz enter the Oval Office, they will rely on strong partners from Capitol Hill to state legislatures to move America forward,” Harrison said.

“We must win at every level of government, across the board, to protect our freedoms and continue our economic progress — whether it’s red America, blue America or purple America.”