Exclusive: House GOP clings to 2026 fundraising lead

House Republicans are entering the final two weeks of the midterms with a rare but razor-thin fundraising advantage over House Democrats.

Why it matters: Democrats outraised Republicans by $84 million in 2024 and $74 million in 2022.

Now, Republicans are holding their own financially even as they face mounting political headwinds.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) outraised the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) by $1 million ($250 million to $249 million) so far this cycle, Axios has learned.

"The NRCC spent this cycle building a war chest to amplify Republican wins and make Democrats answer for their failures," NRCC Chair Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) told Axios in a statement.

By the numbers: The NRCC raised $50 million in the third quarter of 2026 and entered October with $61 million cash on hand.

The DCCC raised $50.5 million in Q3, and entered October with $55.7 million cash on hand.

The NRCC raised $28.5 million in September (the last month of Q3) including a $14 million transfer from the Republican National Committee, compared to $26.3 million raised by the DCCC.

Between the lines: Hudson's fundraising success comes as Speaker Mike Johnson has also built a formidable fundraising operation of his own.

Johnson has raised more than $220 million for House Republicans since becoming speaker in October 2023, a turnaround from early concerns about whether he could fill the void left by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.