First on Fox: Top outside group backing House Republicans sets fundraising record

EXCLUSIVE: The leading outside group that supports House Republicans is reporting its highest fundraising quarter ever.

The Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), which is closely aligned with House Speaker Mike Johnson, is announcing that it hauled in $81.4 million during the July-September third quarter of 2024 fundraising. 

With four weeks left until Election Day in November and the GOP aiming to hold onto and expand its fragile House majority, the CLF is also announcing that it is dishing out another $11 million in new ad reservations. Word of both developments was shared first on Tuesday with Fox News.

"We continue to raise at levels that will allow us to be incredibly impactful this cycle. We’re invested deeply and continuing to add more strategically in the must-win races that will determine the Majority," CLF President Dan Conston said in a statement.

TRUMP UPS THE ANTE WITH HIS SEPTEMBER FUNDRAISING HAUL

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The money raised over the past three months by the CLF tops its previous record of $77.4 million in the third quarter of 2020. The group said it is on track with what it raked in during the 2022 midterms, when Republicans flipped the House, and are out-pacing what they raised at this point in 2020, the last presidential cycle.

The CLF also highlighted that it had $152.8 million cash on hand as of the end of September and touted that it slightly outpaced its Democratic rival in total money raised so far this election cycle.

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House Majority PAC, the main super PAC supporting House Democrats, announced last week that it and its aligned non-profit organization hauled in $69 million in September, part of a $150 million third quarter. However, according to a report, the House Majority PAC alone brought in roughly $100 million in fundraising during the past three months.

Then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

After then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy - who was long known for his fundraising prowess - was ousted a year ago in a very messy intra-party battle, expectations for a strong fundraising cycle for House Republicans were lowered. However, the CLF's fundraising appears to have defied those low expectations.

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The group said Johnson had done well with fundraising and picked up where McCarthy left off. CLF officials also said that they are continuing to haul in "big money" in the week since the end of the third quarter.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol after the last votes of the week on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The CLF said the new ad reservations - with the money being spent on top GOP offensive and defensive House races - brings the group's total reservations this cycle to $190 million. They note that they will likely add more spending ahead of Election Day.

The group is directing some of the new spending to beef up existing ad buys in three Democrat-held districts the GOP's aiming to flip: Colorado's 8th Congressional District, New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District and Maine's 2nd Congressional District.

Additionally, the CLF says it will also use some of the new reservations to "lay down aircover to combat Democrats' spending" in districts where it's playing defense, including New York 19, Wisconsin 03, and Arizona 06.

The GOP currently controls the 435-member House by a narrow 220-212 majority. Two Democrat-held and one Republican-held seats are vacant.

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