GOP challengers get boost from ‘jumbo joint’

Introduction

National Republicans have launched another jumbo joint fundraising committee in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission ruling — this one with the goal of aiding some of the party’s most promising challengers and open seat contenders.

The new collective fundraising operation will benefit the National Republican Congressional Committee, as well as 10 GOP House candidates that have been named to the top tier of the party’s “Young Gun” program, which aids politicians fighting to win some of the most competitive races this year.

The jumbo joint fundraising committee will be known as “Young Gun Day I 2014,” according to paperwork filed with the Federal Election Commission. Individuals will be able to contribute up to $84,400 this year to this new GOP group.

Such a committee wouldn’t have been legal prior to last month’s McCutcheon decision, as aggregate limits on campaign contributions prevented donors from giving the legal maximum to more than nine federal candidates.

Now, there is no limit on how many candidates a donor can give to — so long as no beneficiary receives more than the $2,600 per election “base” limit. Primary and general elections count as separate elections.

In addition to the NRCC, the beneficiaries of the Young Gun Day I 2014 jumbo joint fundraising committee are:

• Mike Bost, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Bill Enyart in Illinois’ 12th Congressional District
• Barbara Comstock, who is running for an open seat in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District
• Ryan Costello, who is running for an open seat in Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District
• Carlos Curbelo, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Joe Garcia in Florida’s 26th Congressional District
• Bob Dold, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider in Illinois’ 10th Congressional District
• Evan Jenkins, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall in West Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District
• Martha McSally, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Ron Barber in Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District
• Stewart Mills, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan in Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District
• Richard Tisei, who is challenging Democratic Rep. John Tierney in Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District
• Torrey Westrom, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson in Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District

This list could potentially grow: Dozens of other GOP candidates are currently named on lower tiers of the NRCC’s “Young Gun” program, but have not yet been named to its top tier.

Republicans have already established three other joint fundraising committees to take advantage of the post-McCutcheon campaign finance rules: the Republican Victory Fund, which will boost the Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee and NRCC; the 2014 Senators Classic Committee, which will benefit 19 incumbent senators and Senate candidates; and the “Patriot Day III 2014” committee, which will aid 10 incumbent GOP House members.

Democrats also regularly solicit large campaign contributions through joint fundraising vehicles, which have existed for years.

But no Democratic-aligned groups have yet been created to utilize the fundraising rules loosened by the McCutcheon decision.