Paul Ryan told incumbents that it was unacceptable they were being outraised and that they would need to work harder. | Win McNamee/Getty Images Ryan pushes GOP to close fundraising gap in midterm races

House Speaker Paul Ryan, looking to salvage his party’s majority in the midterm election, implored Republican lawmakers during a closed-door meeting this week to step up their lagging fundraising.

The appeal, which came during a conference-wide meeting at the Capitol Hill Club on Wednesday, followed news that more than 40 House GOP incumbents were outraised by Democratic challengers during the fourth quarter, a troubling development for a party that controls all the levers of power in Washington.


Two House Republicans in attendance said that Ryan was particularly direct in his remarks and told incumbents that it was unacceptable they were being outraised and they would need to work harder.

Two other people who were in the room presented a softer version of the remarks. Ryan, they said, was not so much sending a red alert as reminding lawmakers that they needed sufficient funds to wage effective reelection bids.

The speaker directed those who were falling behind to turn to the National Republican Congressional Committee and his political team for support.

Sign up here for POLITICO Huddle A daily play-by-play of congressional news in your inbox. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

“Campaigns,” Ryan told the group, “cost money.”

During the meeting, Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, deputy chairman of the NRCC, delivered a presentation in which he highlighted which members had been outpaced by their Democratic rivals. Emmer, two people present said, also noted that some of those who’d fallen short on fundraising had their reelection prospects downgraded by political handicappers.

With many Republican candidates lagging in the race for money, the party is turning to major donors to help make up the difference. The Koch network recently announced plans to spend $400 million on 2018 races, and senior Republicans are appealing to Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, a major bankroller of party causes, for help.

House GOP members raced to last week’s Republican Jewish Coalition meeting, which was at Adelson’s Venetian hotel and drew a number of major party donors. Ryan called into a Friday morning board meeting, and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) delivered an evening address last Saturday.

Several vulnerable Republican members, including Reps. Lee Zeldin of New York and Mia Love of Utah, were also present.

