Republican Fundraising Surge Sets Stage for Most Costly House Majority Battle in History

By Eric Mack    |   Tuesday, 03 February 2026 10:52 AM EST

If the staggering financial figures are any indication, the 2026 midterms could emerge as the most expensive battle for the House majority in American history.

The latest fundraising figures released by Republicans show this is the first time in 10 years that the National Republican Congressional Committee has outraised the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the first year of an election cycle.

“House Republicans are running laps around Democrats because we have unstoppable momentum and a winning message,” NRCC National Press Secretary Mike Marinella said, sharing the data and recent firsts. “We’re charging full steam ahead to grow our majority in November.”

The NRCC pulled in $117.2 million to the DCCC’s $115 million last year, giving Republicans a total war chest edge of $50.7 million to $49 million over the minority party heading into the 2026 midterms. Marinella also highlighted the NRCC outraising the DCCC in December, $13.7 million to $10.4 million, and in the fourth quarter, $24.3 million to $23 million.

Midterm elections are historically difficult for the sitting president’s party and the House majority, a fact acknowledged by President Donald Trump repeatedly in recent weeks. “Presidents, whether it’s Republican or Democrat, when they win, it doesn’t make any difference: They seem to lose the midterms,” Trump said last week in Iowa. “Maybe they want to put up a guard fence. You just don’t know. It doesn’t make sense. Hopefully we’re going to change that around. We’re doing great.”

The last time a president saw his party expand the House majority was 2002, when then-President George W. Bush had American patriotism on his side after 9/11 and the House GOP gained eight seats. That momentum led the NRCC to outraise the DCCC in both 2003, by nearly $44 million, and 2005, by more than $22 million. Along with 2015 and 2025, those are the only first years of election cycles where the NRCC outraised the DCCC.