DNC Reports It Edged Out the GOP In 2004 Election Fund-Raising Race
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

WASHINGTON – Capping a stunning year of record fund raising by both sides, the Democratic National Committee said yesterday it out raised President Bush’s GOP this election cycle. Its Republican rival wasn’t disputing that, but noted the money didn’t buy victory.
Figures the DNC was to file with the Federal Election Commission showed the DNC took in at least $12 million more than the Republican National Committee since January 1, 2003.
DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe said he considered the fund raising – combined with a lack of debt – remarkable because the party finished the 2000 presidential race with $18 million in bills to pay. Now, it can spend four years building the groundwork to try to reclaim the White House in 2008, he said.
The DNC said it raised at least $397 million from January 2003 through Nov. 22, the period covered in its new campaign finance report; the RNC said it took in $385 million and wasn’t questioning the Democratic committee’s financial edge.
Strategists in both parties had predicted a campaign finance law imposing new contribution limits after the 2002 elections would hit the Democratic Party harder than the GOP.
In the end, the DNC and the RNC raised more heading into the election than they had when they could collect corporate, union, and unlimited donations. It’s too soon to say which side had more cash overall; finance reports by outside groups are still coming in.
At least $23 million of the DNC’s total comes from Senator Kerry’s leftover primary money, while the RNC’s total reflects $11.3 million that Bush transferred to it from his primary campaign fund after the election.