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Nation: Schumer Hoards Cash, Tops DSCC in Funds

Sen. Charles Schumer is stockpiling money for a re-election race that hardly exists, and the New York Democrat ended June with more cash on hand than the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Schumer, a former two-term DSCC chairman, showed $23.8 million on hand at the end of last month, and public polls have shown he is up by at least 20 points in a race that Republicans are not contesting. Meanwhile, the DSCC had $21 million in the bank June 30 and a growing list of vulnerable seats.

The cash figures are notable considering Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is in jeopardy of losing re-election this year and Schumer is jockeying with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to become his replacement.

But how much leverage can Schumer have in a potential leadership race if his party and some of his colleagues lose this fall while he sits on millions of dollars?

Unlike the House side, where the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee holds a 2-to-1 cash advantage over its GOP counterpart, the DSCC has a narrow cash edge over the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and Democrats could use any help they can get.

DSCC Chairman Bob Menendez (N.J.) is probably among those at the top of the list waiting to see whether some help comes in the form of a campaign check from Schumer.

NRCC Expands Lower Tiers in ‘Young Guns’

The National Republican Congressional Committee announced Wednesday that 33 House candidates have achieved benchmarks toward qualifying for national party support through the “Young Guns” program.

Young Guns is a three-step program for GOP candidates with specific requirements for progressing though each tier: “On the Radar,” “Contenders” and “Young Guns.”

“These candidates have worked hard to meet the benchmarks set to place them on the road to victory,” NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas) said in a statement.

The 14 candidates who have qualified for Contender status are: former Rep. Charles Bass in New Hampshire, Francisco Canseco in Texas, Dan Debicella in Connecticut, Randy Demmer in Minnesota, Chris Gibson in New York, Jaime Herrera and John Koster in Washington, Dan Kapanke in Wisconsin, Mike Kelly in Pennsylvania, Michele Rollins in Delaware, Jon Runyan and Scott Sipprelle in New Jersey, Bobby Schilling in Illinois, and Steve Southerland in Florida.

The NRCC announced 19 candidates who had achieved On the Radar status: Dee Adcock, Tim Burns and Keith Rothfus in Pennsylvania, Jason Allen and Dan Benishek in Michigan, Susan Biter Smith in Arizona, Donna Campbell in Texas, Peter Corrigan, Rich Iott and Bill Johnson in Ohio, Hunt Downer and Jeff Landry in Louisiana, John Gomez and Frank Scaturro in New York, Ben Lange, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Brad Zaun in Iowa, Delia Lopez in Oregon, and Star Parker in California.

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