Democratic candidates in the most competitive House races overwhelmingly outraised their Republican opponents between July and September, buoyed by a surge in enthusiasm when Vice President Harris replaced President Biden as the party’s nominee. 

They also largely lead in overall fundraising this cycle, a major warning sign for Republicans despite their public projections of confidence. The GOP is fighting to retain control of the House, while Democrats are pushing to pick up a net of at least four seats to gain the majority. 

Money isn’t everything in politics, but the candidate with the most money usually wins the election, and incumbents tend to have a fundraising advantage. 

While all 435 seats are up for reelection this year, only a handful of the races are considered truly competitive. 

Democratic candidates outraised Republicans in 25 of 26 districts rated as “toss-ups” by the nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report in the third quarter and in 24 of those districts over the course of the cycle, The Hill found in an analysis of reports filed with the Federal Election Commission this week. 

In races rated as “lean” Democratic or Republican, 14 Democratic candidates outraised Republicans in the third quarter, while three Republicans had the fundraising edge. But when looking at cycle-to-date figures, seven of the 17 races in that category had Republicans outpacing Democrats.