Scalise touts fundraising numbers to supporters amid heated speakers race

FIRST ON FOX: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., is touting his fundraising numbers on Friday morning as Republicans continue to search for who will lead them as the next speaker. 

The Louisiana Republican is sending a memo to donors and supporters that describes him as a “fundraising powerhouse” within the House GOP. 

“Bolstered by the most successful digital fundraising program in House history, Leader Scalise has raised nearly $170 million to help Republicans win elections,” the memo, obtained by Fox News Digital, stated. 

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“Over the past five years alone, Scalise has given more than $7.2 million directly to Republican Members and candidates and transferred an additional $50 million directly to the [National Republican Congressional Committee] to win back a Republican House Majority.”

It appears to be an indirect argument to Scalise’s fellow Republicans that he is in the strongest position to take over for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who was ousted by a majority vote of eight members of his own party and every House Democrat.

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McCarthy has been known as a prolific fundraiser within the GOP, so a candidate who can raise significant cash ahead of the 2024 election could viably pull ahead in the speaker’s race. 

During the 2022 election cycle, Scalise was the second-best House Republican fundraiser after McCarthy, who is not running for speaker again. McCarthy’s re-election campaign brought in just over $28 million that cycle, according to campaign finance forms, while Scalise’s raised nearly $19 million.

In addition to the $170 million lifetime total and money transferred to GOP members and groups, the Scalise memo also points out that he has given $13 million total to House Republican incumbents and candidates since coming to Congress.

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“Leader Scalise first started building his highly-successful small dollar digital fundraising apparatus during his days as Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the largest group of conservative House Republicans. Since then, his operation has grown even more sophisticated, raising more than $94 million online from 450,000 unique donors and directly guiding an additional $1.8 million and 234,000 donors to more than 100 Republican candidates,” the memo said.

“Offline, Leader Scalise hits the road to visit districts across the country to help new candidates and current Members alike secure Republican victories in races. Last election cycle alone, Scalise was the special guest at 171 events for Republican Members and candidates, spending 112 days on the road.”

The memo also highlights several newspaper headlines describing Scalise as a natural successor to McCarthy. 

He’s one of two candidates who have formally put their name forward for the speakership, the other being House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.