Almost exactly a year after a small group of GOP lawmakers joined Democrats to remove Kevin McCarthy from the speakership, the California Republican is divvying out $14 million to help GOP candidates across the board.
This disbursement will come from America Fund, a super PAC supported by McCarthy, and will go toward Republicans running for the House and Senate, as well as former President Donald Trump, according to information first shared with NOTUS.
The money is coming at a time when Republicans are trailing Democrats in fundraising as Election Day nears.
“It’s a bigger hole than I thought would happen, so I want to help fill that hole,” McCarthy told NOTUS in an interview. “I think it’s a better opportunity to win seats this cycle than the last two, and we haven’t lost in a long time. I’ve got a lot invested in the people that I recruited. I want to help them be able to maintain; I think we got to go be more on offense. We got a great opportunity.”
The $14 million will be broken down as $6 million for Senate races, $3 million for the Congressional Leadership Fund (a super PAC closely aligned with Republican leadership), $1 million to MAGA Inc. (the main super PAC supporting Trump’s campaign), and $4 million directly to House races.
“Speaker McCarthy knows firsthand how important it is to get President Trump back in the White House and his continued efforts in support of President Trump will be critical in this final stretch,” David Lee, executive director of MAGA Inc., said in a statement.
In addition to the cash infusion, McCarthy gave $4 million from his Protect the House joint fundraising committee to vulnerable Republicans and the National Republican Congressional Committee in mid-September, taking his disbursements for the cycle to $40.5 million to members, candidates, the NRCC and state parties.
“Speaker McCarthy’s dedication to building this House Republican majority has never wavered. CLF is grateful for all he has done and continues to do to build on his record of success,” Dan Conston, president of CLF, said in a statement.
With Republicans significantly trailing Democrats when it comes to fundraising, a portion of this disbursement is going directly to candidates and vulnerable incumbents, such as Reps. David Valadao and Ken Calvert in California, as well as Zach Nunn in Iowa.
“The most powerful money is directly to members,” McCarthy said. “And that always puts you in a stronger position to be on offense.”
While McCarthy has always been a major fundraiser for House candidates, his contribution to GOP Senate races could be pivotal as Republicans try to take back the majority in the upper chamber.
“Kevin McCarthy is a tremendous fundraiser who knows how to win a majority. We appreciate his support of our efforts to take back the Senate,” Steven Law, the president of Senate Leadership Fund, said in a statement to NOTUS.
—
Reese Gorman is a reporter at NOTUS.