As they fight for control of the General Assembly, the N.C. Republican Party has seen its fundraising nearly double since 2008 while the Democratic Party has raised less than half of what it had two years ago.
Democratic legislative leaders, however, still have bigger war chests than their GOP counterparts, according to new reports filed this week with the state elections board.
Second-quarter reports show that GOP fundraising for state races this election cycle is up 75 percent from July 2008, while the Democratic Party's has fallen 62 percent.
Analysts say Republicans could make record legislative gains. The GOP is contesting every Senate seat and hopes to win control of that body for the first time in more than a century.
"From a fundraising standpoint, we'll close the gap," Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger of Rockingham County said Wednesday.
But it's a big gap to close.
According to Raleigh consultant John Davis, Democrats enjoyed a 2-1 cash advantage in 2008 legislative races, when they spent $18.1 million to Republicans' $9.7 million.
'Money flows to power'
Democratic leaders, who run both the N.C. House and Senate, still have a wide edge.
Senate Leader Marc Basnight of Dare County has $717,000 in the bank. House Speaker Joe Hackney of Orange County has nearly $600,000. The leaders typically spread their money around to Democrats who need it.
Each has considerably more money than Berger or House Minority Leader Skip Stam of Wake County.
"As always, money flows to power," Davis said. "As long as [Basnight] has all the power and Hackney has all the power on the House side, they're going to get a disproportionate share of the money."
But Jim Blaine, director of the N.C. Republican Senate Caucus, released figures Wednesday that show GOP senators and Senate candidates have at least $1.7 million in their campaign accounts for the November elections, nearly as much as Senate Democratic candidates.
The Republican Party, meanwhile, has raised more than $1 million since January 2009 to Democrats' $649,000, though the Democratic Party raised slightly more than Republicans in the second quarter of 2010.
Andrew Whalen, executive director of the N.C. Democratic Party, said the state reports tell just part of the story. He said federal reports due later this week will show healthy fundraising. The party can use that money for voter-turnout efforts that benefit not only Congressional but all of its candidates.
"We are confident in what we have spent our resources on and the infrastructure we have put in place," Whalen said. "And that infrastructure will lead to Democratic victories come November."
In the Senate, Republicans have to pick up six seats for control. In the House, they need nine.
Six Democratic senators plan to retire or already have. In addition, three Democratic senators are in districts that otherwise lean Republican.
And some of the departing Democratic senators have been among the legislature's biggest fundraisers. Sen. David Hoyle of Gaston County and Tony Rand of Cumberland, for instance, raised more than $1 million between them for the 2008 elections.
A new survey by Raleigh's Public Policy Polling suggests that President Barack Obama could hurt Democratic candidates.
Obama hurting Democrats?
A poll this week by Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling of Raleigh suggested that Obama could be a drag on legislative candidates in North Carolina, where more voters view him unfavorably than not.
"The big concern for Democrats at the state level is that voters unhappy with Obama are planning to vote [for] Republicans for the legislature this fall by a margin of 80-6," polling director Tom Jensen blogged.
"[Democrats'] challenges are far greater this time than ever before," said Davis, author of the John Davis Political Report. "The issues, the challenges, the way the wind is blowing. Factor all that in and the money becomes far less significant."
