Democrats in the US Investing in Down-ballot Candidates in Non-battleground States

The national Democratic Party is allocating close to $2 million to support candidates in down-ballot races across 11 states where the presidential election is not expected to be highly competitive. These funds will target various races, from the U.S. Senate to state legislative contests, in the upcoming November elections.

The Democratic National Committee announced that the investments will be directed towards state parties in states traditionally leaning Democrat or Republican, such as Washington and Texas. In states like Indiana and Kansas, where Republicans hold supermajorities in state legislatures, the funds aim to break those majorities. Additionally, in Maryland, the DNC plans to provide $250,000 to support Democrat U.S. Senate nominee Angela Alsobrooks in a crucial race that Democrats need to win in order to maintain control of the Senate.

Specific grants are being allocated to address state-level needs. For example, in Minnesota, funds will be used to hire staff dedicated to reaching out to voters in rental apartments, who are often hard for campaigns to engage with. In Nebraska, where there is a closely contested U.S. House of Representatives race, a $40,000 grant will fund a rural organizer, and in South Dakota, $70,000 will be spent to help register Native American voters.

Democrats have been surpassing Republicans in fundraising for most of the 2023-24 election cycle, with Biden’s campaign starting May with a significant financial advantage. However, Trump and the Republican National Committee recently reported a fundraising total of $141 million in May, nearly doubling the previous month’s amount following a surge in donations after Trump’s felony conviction.