Vulnerable House Democrats Left with Depleted War Chests After Midterms

A number of House Democrats are in vulnerable positions ahead of the 2024 elections after spending big to secure victories in the competitive midterm elections.

At least six Democrats’ campaign committees had less than $54,000 at the start of the year, the Washington Examiner first reported on Wednesday. This includes three who had less than $23,000 in their war chests, Open Secrets shows.

“Despite raising wads of campaign cash, House Democrat candidates still needed to dig in the couch cushions to fund their narrow victories last cycle,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Will Reinert told the Examiner.

After winning an extremely close election that was decided by less than one percentage point in Colorado’s Eighth Congressional District, Rep. Yadira Caraveo’s (D-CO) campaign committee had only $17,542 as of December 31, per Open Secrets. She outraised her Republican opponent Barbara Kirkmeyer by more than two to one, enabling her to shell out $3,526,300 to the Republican’s $1,533,352.

Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) had just $17,973 cash on hand after a close race with Republican candidate Sandy Smith in North Carolina’s First Congressional District, in which he took 52.4 percent of the vote. Smith, who garnered 47.6 percent of support, spent $1,578,256, while Davis’s campaign spent $1,823,153.

Last year’s race in New Mexico’s Second Congressional District was extremely tight, with Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) squeaking out a victory over former Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-NM) by 1,350 votes, or less than one percentage point. Vasquez’s campaign spent $3.6 million to unseat the Republican incumbent and had just $22,777 on hand at the end of the year, according to Open Secrets.

Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) is another House Democrat who was short on cash following the midterm election. The campaign committee for the three-term representative, whom the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) dubbed one of the “worst ethics violators of 2019,” had $52,620 as of New Year’s Eve after spending $5,417,438 to stave off Republican challenger Jim Bognet.

Rep. Wiley Nickel’s (D-NC) war chest dwindled to $53,961 after an expensive contest with Republican challenger Bo Hines. Nickel spent $3,621,438 to beat Hines, who spent $3,277,233, by nearly three percentage points, according to Open Secrets. The biggest spender of the vulnerable Democrats was Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA). Wild spent $6,931,013 in her two-percentage-point win over Republican challenger Lisa Scheller.

“With a target squarely on their back, these … campaign cash balances spell doom for their reelection chances in 2024,” Reinert told the Examiner.

Tommy Garcia, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), told the outlet that Reinert’s comments “admitted that House Democrats are proven formidable fundraisers capable of outraising Republican opponents time and time again.”

“Battle-tested, these House Democrats will be well prepared with the right resources to win their seats again in 2024,” he added.

Last week, the DCCC put out a press release announcing it had outraised Republicans by more than two to one in February as Democrats race to stockpile resources ahead of 2024.