The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee narrowly outraised its Republican counterpart in February, according to fundraising figures released Monday by both party committees.
 
The DSCC reported raising $3.43 million last month, which was slightly more than the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s $3.34 million. It has now taken in more than $6 million through the first two months of the year, as the committee faces a difficult challenge in holding its three-seat majority while defending 23 seats next year.
 
“This is the strongest fundraising effort ever by any Senate campaign committee at this point in the election cycle,” DSCC Executive Director Guy Cecil said in a statement.
 
The NRSC has raised $6.2 million in the first two months of the year and stands $1.6 million ahead of where it was at this point two years ago. The NRSC has just $868,000 in cash on hand but paid down $1.2 million in outstanding debt. The GOP committee now has remaining debts of $5.3 million.
 
“Even though it’s still very early in the 2012 cycle, the momentum that Senate Republicans are seeing on the ground in a range of key races is also translating into a solid fundraising start for the NRSC,” NRSC Executive Director Rob Jesmer said. “We continue to pay down our outstanding debt and stockpile our war chest as Senate Republicans prepare to go on offense in a number of Democrat-held states next year.”
 
The DSCC has $5.1 million in the bank but is carrying $8.6 million in debt. It paid down some $180,000 in debt last month.