Speaker Johnson Rakes in $20M-Plus in Fundraising

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is set to announce Thursday that he raked in more than $20 million during the first fundraising quarter, according to Politico.

Johnson, who has traveled to more than 20 states for fundraising and campaign efforts since winning the gavel in October, reportedly has worked zealously to hit the mark when it comes to fundraising. His huge haul indicates that he has made inroads with the kind of deep-pocket donors the GOP needs to continue to hold the House majority.

"In less than six months as Speaker, we have hit the ground running to ensure House Republicans will have the resources necessary to win in battlegrounds across America — and we cannot slow down now," Johnson said in a statement.

One of the Republican Party's biggest fears when Johnson was elected speaker was that he wouldn't be able to fill the coffers as well as former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, who was well-known for his fundraising prowess.

"Losing McCarthy is obviously a setback for our fundraising; it's like losing a hall of famer in that category," Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., told the Daily Caller in November.

Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., a Levi Strauss heir, pointed out then that Johnson "has to build an entire donor network from scratch because he's effectively unknown."

Johnson may exude a quieter presence than McCarthy, but his strong first quarter numbers indicate he's getting things done. In previous comments to Politico, Johnson said he's grateful that McCarthy helped connect him to cash-flush contributors.

The upcoming election cycle is likely to be challenging for the House GOP, as the super PAC dedicated to electing House Democrats, the House Majority PAC, outraised its Republican counterpart, the Congressional Leadership Fund, in the first quarter. However, according to Politico, GOP-linked PACs in the House remain ahead of Democrat PACs in terms of fundraising thus far in the election cycle.

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