The super PAC aligned with Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., warned Tuesday that the Democratic Party's resource advantage might be too much to handle for the Republicans' vulnerable House majority.
The Congressional Leadership Fund has raised more than $160 million and invested that money in television, radio, and digital advertising as well as a homegrown voter turnout operation to assist targeted Republican incumbents who might not benefit from the work on the ground being done by the national party. But it might all be for naught, CLF executive director Corry Bliss warned in a memorandum issued to the group's donors one week before Election Day.
"CLF has raised over $160 million — an increase of $109 million over last cycle. Without this unprecedented support, CLF would not have been able to engage in 51 races across the country," Bliss said. "However, the overall financial situation remains alarming. In October, Democrats outraised Republicans in 90 percent of competitive House districts and Mayor Bloomberg added more than $10 million in the last week. GOP candidates are being outspent in 85 percent of CLF’s target races."
[Related: Dems on defensive, pour money into New Jersey Senate race]
Michael Bloomberg, a Democratic billionaire who was a Republican when he served as mayor of New York City, is pouring his own money into House campaigns, including some late-breaking contests that weren't thought to be on the board, such as Georgia's 7th Congressional district.
Bliss said House Republicans are still positioned to hold their 23-seat majority, but argued that doing so would require making each campaign a choice between conservative and liberal policies on the issues of the economy, immigration, and the consequences of putting House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to become speaker of the House again after an eight-year hiatus.
Two words not found anywhere in the CLF memo? "President Trump."
"Even in this environment, we can win the close races. Despite the Democrats’ fundraising advantage and the additional outside money being spent by Mayor Bloomberg, the races that will determine control of the House are too close to call," Bliss said. "If Republicans can continue to turn out their voters and give voters a choice between the Republican and Democratic agendas, the GOP can win."
Experienced political handicappers are projecting Democratic gains in the House at anywhere from 25 to 35 seats, enough to win a majority.