Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) brought in the really big fundraising bucks. But will House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) be able to do the same? Thus far, his efforts are paying off.
The DCCC almost doubled the NRCC’s money in January, $8.1 million versus $4.5 million. Jeffries alone brought in $5.2 million of that month’s total, according to The Punchbowl Newsletter:
‘In other words, Jeffries himself raised more than the entire NRCC. House Democrats raised or gave $1.8 million.’
Last month, Jeffries and his top people did a run through Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. They brought in $6 million that went into the House Democrats and House Majority PAC.
Jeffries alone traveled to Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Laredo, according to the New York 1 station:
‘ House Minority Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar joined [Jeffries] for parts of the trip.’
But the House majority leader will not rest on his laurels. The top House Democratic leadership will head out to fundraise again in March, prior to the first-quarter deadline.
Jeffries noted that the House was in transition:
‘[I]t will necessarily require a team effort across the House Democratic Caucus, beyond the leadership individuals, in order to be able to take the baton.’
Jeffries’ first chief of staff Cedric Grant commented on the New York congressman’s style:
‘Her [Pelosi’s] leadership style was more top down and I think Hakeem’s will be more bottom up and more inclusive. Consensus building, very deliberative, but yet decisive.’
The former New York congressman Tom Reed (R) has worked with the minority leader and said:
‘I definitely think he will not be as top-down heavy. I think he’s going to seek out input. I think he’s going to surround himself with members that he trusts, that kind of dissipates some of the power.’
So far, so very good.
Gloria Christie is a political journalist for the liberal online newspaper The Bipartisan Report. Find her here on Facebook. Or at Three White Lions, her book written in her own unique style with a twist of humor on Amazon Kindle Vella and the Gloria Christie Three White Lions podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. Christie’s Mueller Report Adventures In Bite-Sizes a real-life compelling spy mystery (in progress).
