The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $3.25 million Wednesday evening at fundraising events President Barack Obama headlined in San Francisco.

It was the first of eight DCCC fundraisers the president has committed to in the 2014 cycle. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., attended the events — cocktails at one home and then dinner at another — and Obama stressed the importance of returning her to the House speaker position.

“I am here because there are very few people in public office who I am more fond of and respectful than the person who just introduced me, Nancy Pelosi,” Obama said in his remarks.  “She is thoughtful, she’s visionary, she’s as tough as nails. She is practical. She never lets ideology cloud her judgment.”

DCCC Chairman Steve Israel of New York was also in attendance, along with California Democratic Reps. Michael M. Honda, Jared Huffman and Eric Swalwell.

The president noted that Israel “is doing an often thankless, extraordinarily difficult job.” At the end of February, the DCCC had $7.6 million in the bank compared to the National Republican Congressional Committee’s $4.4 million cash on hand.

Steven T. Dennis contributed to this report.