DNC announces $15 million investment in swing-state parties
The Democratic National Committee on Monday announced a $15 million investment in swing-state parties as it looks to beef up its campaign infrastructure in key battlegrounds.
From that bucket, nearly $1.5 million will go to the Arizona Democratic Party, nearly $1 million will go to the Georgia Democratic Party, nearly $2 million will go to the Michigan Democratic Party, over $1.2 will go to the North Carolina Democratic Party, over $2 million will go to the Nevada Democratic Party, nearly $2 million will go to the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, and nearly $3 million will go to the Wisconsin Democratic Party, according to plans shared first with ABC News.
The investments, announced on the second day of the Republican National Convention, will help open new field offices in urban and rural areas in the key states, help stat parties obtain accurate data and help candidates running in down-ballot races.
Democrats' coordinated campaign has so far opened 217 field offices across the battleground states and hired over 1,100 staffers, the DNC said in a press release.
"As MAGA Republicans descend on Milwaukee to nominate a serial liar, cheater, and convicted felon in Donald Trump, Democrats are leaving nothing to chance and investing heavily on the ground to ensure Joe Biden and Kamala Harris win this election," DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement provided to ABC News before Saturday's assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
"This is the largest-ever investment made to battleground state parties at this point in time, and we continue to build our state-by-state war chests in preparation to re-elect President Biden and Vice President Harris in November," he added.
The investments come as Democrats look to pad their advantage in one key area: campaign infrastructure.
The DNC and Biden campaign have spent heavily to expand their footprint across the electoral map, setting up field offices and hiring staff and volunteers to spread campaign messaging and knock on doors to communicate with voters, among other things.
The Republican National Committee in a statement did not disclose details about its own campaign infrastructure, though it downplayed any advantages the DNC may have amid broader turmoil over Biden.
"Joe Biden's campaign is desperate to talk about anything but their cognitively impaired candidate or the disastrous poll numbers that have them losing in every battleground state, as well as so-called 'blue states' across the country," said RNC spokesperson Anna Kelly.
"Biden and his handlers can talk process all they want, but President Trump will continue to talk about his agenda to curb inflation, lower costs, secure the open southern border, end the chaos Biden has created at home and abroad, and Make America Great Again," she added.
The advantage could be key to remaining competitive after Trump's campaign and allied GOP groups closed a once-yawning fundraising gap and as Democrats continue to tremble over Biden's shaky debate performance last month. The assassination attempt Saturday also could alter the race, though it's unclear precisely how.
Several congressional Democrats have called on Biden to drop out of the 2024 race over concerns about his mental fitness and electability, but Harrison has been an adamant ally since the debate.
"This election was always going to be close, and regardless of beltway media narratives, the entire election is going to come down to operation and turnout in the battleground states," Harrison said.
"The Democrats' operation is second to none and stronger than ever. As MAGA Republicans hype up Donald Trump this week, it's important to remember that Democrats are lightyears ahead of the RNC on the ground, where it actually matters. We're going to win this election by engaging voters community-by-community, block-by-block, door-by-door," he added.
