The recent activity shows Speaker Paul Ryan is taking the energy among Democrats seriously. | John Shinkle/POLITICO Ryan raising more funds to protect the House after health-care vote

Speaker Paul Ryan, eager to protect his House majority in what’s expected to be a politically volatile election cycle, is stepping up his fundraising following the chamber’s vote to repeal and replace Obamacare.

The Wisconsin Republican’s political team on Tuesday morning will announce that Ryan has raised $22 million for House Republicans in the first five months of 2017, setting him on track to far outpace his 2016 fundraising haul.


Over the same period last year, an election year, Ryan hauled in $16.5 million.

In the month of May alone Ryan transferred $2 million to the National Republican Congressional Committee. And since the House voted on the controversial health care bill, he’s also attended nearly 50 events in 13 states from Arkansas to Michigan and North Carolina to Texas, helping members gearing up to defend themselves from Democrats vying to seize their seats.

The recent activity shows Ryan is taking the energy among Democrats seriously. Democrats are hoping this could be the cycle they re-take the House — dreams they believe could come true should President Donald Trump’s poll numbers continue to sink.

While Republicans typically benefit from higher voter turnout during mid-term elections, the party in power — in this case, the GOP — also typically loses seats the cycle after it seizes the White House.

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Democrats are also quickly zeroing in on the Ryan-led health care bill as a wedge issue for 2018. They've tagged supporters as taking away health care from more vulnerable populations.

Republicans contest that assertion and say the bill will lower premiums. But some swing-district Republicans who backed the bill have seen blowback regardless, as protesters show up at their offices and overrun their town halls.

Ryan’s early election-cycle fundraising demonstrates his commitment to ensuring his conference has protection and a solid war chest going into election season. He’s also cut more than $1.5 million in checks to more than 160 members’ campaign accounts.

This week, Ryan will continue that work in Washington D.C., appearing at an NRCC dinner with Vice President Mike Pence.

Ryan will also headline fundraising receptions for vulnerable Congressional Republican David Valadao of California; New Jersey Republican Tom MacArthur, who helped save the Obamacare repeal bill but who has seen monstrous blowback at home for his efforts; Rep. Rodney Davis of Illinois; and Ralph Norman, the candidate running to replace former congressman and White House budget director Mick Mulvaney in South Carolina.