He has been the most prolific fundraiser in House Republican history.<\/p>\n
The unprecedented ouster this week of Speaker Kevin McCarthy raises plenty of question marks for the House GOP as it aims to hold its fragile majority in the chamber in the 2024 elections.<\/p>\n
\u2018It will 100% be a setback,\u2019 predicted a Republican in McCarthy\u2019s political orbit, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely.<\/p>\n
A GOP strategist involved in congressional races, who asked for anonymity, warned that \u2018House Republicans are going to need to pick up the pieces quickly of what was the most impressive fundraising organization we have seen in politics if they want to be successful in 2024.\u2019<\/p>\n
The speaker\u2019s removal has already caused a ripple in the GOP\u2019s fundraising efforts. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the main fundraising arm for the House GOP, will postpone a fall gala that was scheduled for next week that McCarthy was slated to headline, Fox News confirmed Wednesday. Organizers said Republicans needed to focus on electing a new speaker instead.<\/p>\n
McCarthy, a former state lawmaker from California who was first elected to the House 17 years ago and who\u2019s been in GOP leadership in the chamber since 2009, long had a reputation as a top Republican fundraiser, even before he became speaker.<\/p>\n
As minority leader, McCarthy helped party defy expectations in the 2020 elections by taking a big bite out of Democrats\u2019 House majority \u2014 despite Democrats winning the White House. He personally hauled in $150 million in the last election cycle to help Republicans win back the House majority.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But after Republicans gained the House majority in last November\u2019s midterms, McCarthy still had to secure his party\u2019s backing as he clawed his way through an historic 15-ballot speakership election over five days at the beginning of the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That fight set back fundraising efforts, but McCarthy quickly made up for lost time as he hauled in an eye-popping $12.3 million at his first major fundraiser, which was held in early February at a downtown D.C. hotel.<\/p>\n
As speaker, he hauled in a whopping $62.5 million during the first six months of the year through the McCarthy Victory Fund.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018It is a huge question mark,\u2019 said another Republican operative who works on House races. \u2018He\u2019s a very prolific fundraiser. He was our best asset in that arena.\u2019<\/p>\n
The operative, who also asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, noted that \u2018it\u2019s really hard to know that the practical impact will be. We don\u2019t know who the next leader is going to be and what their fundraising capacity is like.\u2019<\/p>\n
While the GOP captured the House majority last year, hopes of a red wave never materialized and the party is holding onto a fragile 222-213 majority (currently 221-212 with seats in a red district and a blue district currently vacant. That means Democrats need a net gain of just five seats to win back control of the chamber next year.<\/p>\n
\u2018I intend to make sure that we gain and keep the majority in the next cycle,\u2019 McCarthy vowed at a news conference on Tuesday after he was booted from the speakership.<\/p>\n
Veteran Republican strategist and former National Republican Congressional Committee national press secretary Jesse Hunt noted that when it comes to fundraising going forward, \u2018there seems to be a pretty good existing apparatus there, and I\u2019m sure McCarthy and members of the current leadership will try to help make the transition as seamless as possible.\u2019<\/p>\n
While Republicans focused on the 2024 House elections acknowledge the ousting of McCarthy\u2019s a distraction, they counter that they still enjoy an \u2018amazing\u2019 political environment, with leading issues such as the economy, border security, and crime that polling suggests favors the GOP.<\/p>\n
\u2018We have a message that works and Joe Biden\u2019s unpopular. We have a lot going for us,\u2019 the Republican operative said.<\/p>\n
They also point to their 2024 recruitment class \u2018that\u2019s on the field already,\u2019 which McCarthy had a hand in shaping.<\/p>\n
\u2018We\u2019ve got good pieces on the chess board and we\u2019ve got a good message to talk about,\u2019 the operative added.<\/p>\n
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n