Democratic committee plans to spend $16 million on legislative races in key states

close

Video

McConnell on SCOTUS vacancy: ‘We can’t pick and choose when big decisions are foisted upon us’

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell defends his decision to move forward on the SCOTUS nomination ahead of President Trump’s announcement; reaction from ‘Outnumbered.’

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) announced on Friday their plans to invest $16 million in state legislative elections this fall, as they push to flip seats from red to blue.

The committee’s latest pledge brings their spending up to $35 million for this political cycle, a new record and a significant increase from the $10 million spent in 2010, Politico first reported.

The funds will go to 17 battleground states in the U.S. including Arizona, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas, announced the DLCC in a Friday press release.

JORDAN PUSHES RESOLUTION TO LIMIT SUPREME COURT JUSTICES, BLASTS DEMOCRATS

“Everything is on the line in this election and we’re committing more resources than ever before to state legislative races,” DLCC President Jessica Post said in a statement.

The DLCC said that the $35 million investment is the largest sum invested in down-ballot races by a democratic organization.

The committee is ramping up its political efforts as states face potential redistricting, and the GOP-controlled Senate pushes to add another conservative justice to the Supreme Court.

Though Supreme Court justices are intended to remain nonpartisan in their review of the Constitution, there are currently five justices that were appointed under Republican presidents, while only three were confirmed under Democratic presidents.

The White House and Congress have historically appointed justices to the Supreme Court that they believe will interpret the Constitution in a way that is in line with their political beliefs.

If President Trump is successful in filling the seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, he will have been able to appoint three justices to the Supreme Court – meaning the ratio would be six-three in favor of conservatives on the bench.

WHERE HAS AMY CONEY BARRETT STOOD ON IMPORTANT CASES?

“We’re on complete offense this year thanks to unprecedented fundraising and tanking GOP poll numbers,” Post said.

The death of Bader Ginsburg, and the GOP’s promise to appoint a new Supreme Court justice as quickly as possible, has resulted in an uptick in funding to Democratic initiatives.

An online fundraising platform for the Democratic Party, ActBlue, saw a record-breaking increase in donations received immediately following the death of the lionized justice.

ActBlue confirmed to Fox News that they received $6.3 million dollars between 10 p.m. - 11 p.m. last Friday, just hours after the announcement came of Bader Ginsburg’s death.

And over $30 million was raised between 9 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday.

Biden’s campaign did not respond to Fox News’ requests for comment on any fundraising increases.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“The next decade of American democracy is on the line in state legislative elections this November,” Post said. “The legislators we elect in 2020 will help draw the maps we’ll be running on for the next ten years, and they’ll make a blue wall against GOP attempts to roll back health care, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ protections.”

The DLCC could not be immediately reached for comment.