The National Republican Congressional Committee has shattered its non-election year fundraising record in the first three quarters of 2017.

The NRCC is tasked with defending the Republican House majority in 2018, even as midterms are historically difficult for the president’s party. To boost that effort, according to a fundraising report shared first with McClatchy, the committee has raised $72.6 million in 2017 so far, more than it raised in a full year in any previous off-year cycle. That number also outpaces 2015’s total fundraising haul by $10.4 million.

The NRCC pulled in $4.9 million in September and has $38.4 million cash on hand, which is $18.5 million more than the cash on hand total at the same time in 2015, according to the committee.

Click to resize

“It's a team effort and we're appreciative to all those who came through in a big way, including Speaker Ryan and Leader McCarthy," NRCC Chairman Steve Stivers said in a statement.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has not yet released its September fundraising numbers. Through August, that committee had raised $72.46 million in 2017, and had just under $25 million cash on hand, after several months of outraising their Republican counterparts.

Both committees have noted that they are significantly outpacing past off-year metrics, a sign of just how expensive and competitive the battle for the House is poised to become.