WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- The Republican National Committee said Thursday it collected some $87 million in 2005, setting a fundraising record for a non-presidential election year.
The RNC said it had been given $7.2 million in October for a 10-month total of more than $85.7 million with donations coming from more than 1 million people.
A statement from RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman attributed the fundraising success to "the broad base of support for President Bush and the Republican agenda." However, Bush has been marking record lows in support, as judged by national opinion polls.
Still the Republicans, who say they have more than $34 million cash on hand, have been much more successful in raising funds than the Democrats. For the first nine months of the year, the Democratic National Committee said it had raised $42 million and had $6.8 million cash on hand, The Washington Post reported.
