By Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 1, 2006

The major Senate Democratic fundraising committee has pulled millions of dollars ahead of its Republican counterpart despite the solid GOP Senate majority and the fundraising advantages of incumbency.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, chaired by Sen. Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), reported collecting $44 million in 2005, nearly $10 million more than the $35.5 million raised by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, chaired by Sen. Elizabeth Dole (N.C.).

More important, the Democratic committee ended the year with a cash balance of $25 million available for use in the 2006 elections, compared with the Senate Republicans' $10.5 million cash on hand.

The money is significant but by no means guarantees success on Election Day. For the entire 2003-2004 election cycle, the DSCC outraised the NRSC $88.7 million to $79 million, but it still lost four seats.

If current trends continue, the Democratic financial advantage will be larger in the 2005-2006 cycle and will mark a complete reversal from years when the NRSC used to overwhelm the DSCC. In both the 1999-2000 and 2001-2002 cycles, the GOP beat the Democrats by $12 million.

The Democrats' financial strength may hurt Dole's reputation as a skilled fundraiser. "It's a marathon, not a sprint," said Brian Nick, a spokesman for the NRSC, referring to the nine months of fundraising to go before the elections. Nick suggested that instead of giving to the Democratic National Committee, which has been substantially outraised by the Republican National Committee, some Democratic donors may be shifting their attention to the Senate committee.

Schumer was quick to put his own spin on the numbers. "Americans don't like what they're seeing in Washington and know that Democrats are the party of change," he said. "The best way to get the Senate focused on the needs of average Americans is to elect more Democrats, and that's why we have the wind at our backs right now."

In the fight for control of the House, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $42.7 million, with $15.7 million in the bank at the start of the year and $1.9 million in debts. The National Republican Congressional Committee raised $65 million, had $19 million in the bank and had no debts.

The RNC reported raising $105.4 million and ending 2005 with $34 million in the bank. The DNC raised $51.5 million and had $5.9 million in the bank.