House GOP Super PAC Raises 2Q Record

Speaker Paul Ryan’s prolific fundraising influence is extending to the House GOP super PAC, Congressional Leadership Fund.

Endorsed by Speaker Ryan and House Republican leadership, CLF has just brought in a record second quarter haul – attracting donors who support Speaker Ryan’s leadership for a governing House majority and conservative policy agenda.

The Wall Street Journal has the story below; two key highlights:

• CLF raised $4.6 million in the second quarter of this year – a record for its second-quarter fundraising.

• CLF began July 1 with $6 million cash on hand, nearly five times the amount the group held at the same time in 201 4.

It’s also the first quarter that top fundraiser Mason Fink, former finance director for Romney ’08 and ’12, has been with CLF as a board member. His thoughts on CLF’s record second quarter: 

• “Donors are standing for something. Speaker Ryan and his agenda are a cause. Those supporting the Speaker are avid that Paul continues to lead with a governing majority in the House and recognize that if you want to enable an agenda, you need to win.” – Mason Fink, CLF Board Member

Thanks, and let me know of any questions,

House GOP Super PAC Raises $4.6 Million in Second Quarter
The Wall Street Journal
By Michelle Hackman
July 13, 2016
http://on.wsj.com/29Iygwb

The primary outside spending group supporting House Republicans announced on Wednesday that it raised $4.6 million in the second quarter of this year, signaling rapidly growing interest in vulnerable House races.

The Republican super PAC, Congressional Leadership Fund, began July 1 with $6 million cash on hand, nearly five times the amount the group held at the same time in 2014.

“Donors understand how important it is to have a functioning majority in the House that is as large as it is,” said Mike Shields, the group’s president. “Even after the fundraising deadline passed, we’ve continued to see an uptick in our fundraising.”

Congressional Leadership Fund was founded in 2011 with the endorsement of House leadership. In 2014, it spent over $12.6 million across competitive House districts – a pace the group is hoping to surpass this year.

The group’s recent haul set a record for its second-quarter fundraising. In second-quarter 2012, the group brought in $1.3 million, while in 2014 – a midterm election year without a Democratic draw at the top of the ticket – it raised just $600,000.

The group attributed its record fundraising to the popularity of House Speaker Paul Ryan, who assumed the speakership in October and has since set forth an agenda of concrete policy priorities it says Republican members can run on.

Donors are also increasingly looking to the group in light of  the historic unpopularity of the presumed Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump. Many contributors who feel uncomfortable donating to Mr. Trump are looking to spend money preserving Republican majorities in the House and Senate instead. Many also recognize that his unpopularity puts House races in play that would normally be safe for Republicans, because would-be GOP voters might stay home.

House Republicans currently hold a 30-seat majority. With Trump at the top of the ticket, that historically large majority – which Democrats previously thought would take several election cycles to whittle – now seems susceptible to a Democratic wave.

Although Republicans have seen a sharp increase in monetary support for House races, they still have ground to make up. The corresponding outside group supporting House Democrats, House Majority PAC, had close to $12 million on hand at the end of May, the last time the group reported its fundraising totals.