Former President Barack Obama is looking to give Democrats a financial boost, headlining a fundraiser next month with the party’s Senate campaign arm, according to details shared first with NBC News.
The event, scheduled for October 7 in the Washington area, will be Obama’s first fundraiser with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee this election cycle.
The Fundraising Gap
The fundraiser comes as Democrats face a growing fundraising gap heading into the fall. Republican committees hold substantially more cash, and Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC has more than $400 million in the bank.
Obama remains one of the few Democratic figures capable of attracting attention from the party’s donor class while also commanding loyalty among grassroots supporters. His role this cycle, according to insiders, is more straightforward than rewriting the party platform: raise money, rally supporters, and remind donors that Democrats still have a formidable national operation.
Obama’s Midterm Role
The DSCC fundraiser is not Obama’s only foray into the midterms. He has spent recent months elevating a new generation of Democratic leaders across the country.
In May, he appeared with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico at a taco shop in Austin, part of an effort to boost the rising Democrat in his uphill bid to flip a Republican-held seat . He endorsed Iowa Democrat Josh Turek in a video of the two playing basketball, referencing his own 2008 caucus victory in the state.
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed said he spoke with Obama in August and described the conversation as “really warm and inspiring,” adding that he hoped Obama would campaign with him in the perennial swing state.
The Bottom Line
Former President Barack Obama will headline a fundraiser for Senate Democrats on October 7 in the Washington area. It is his first DSCC fundraiser this election cycle and comes as Democrats face a significant fundraising disadvantage compared to Republicans. Obama has also been active in individual Senate races, appearing with candidates in Texas, Iowa, and speaking with the nominee in Michigan.
My Opinion
Barack Obama is still the most popular Democrat in the country. That is both an asset and an indictment. He left office nearly a decade ago. He has no formal role in the party. He holds no elected position. And yet, when Democrats need money, they call Obama. When they need excitement, they call Obama. When they need someone to rally the base and reassure the donor class, they call Obama.
The Democrats’ fundraising gap is real. Republican committees are outraising them. MAGA Inc. is sitting on hundreds of millions. And the party’s response is to bring back the man who was supposed to be the past. Obama can raise money. He can draw a crowd. He can remind people why they voted for Democrats in the first place. But he cannot fix what is broken.
The party’s problem is not a lack of star power. It is a lack of direction. Obama is a fundraiser, not a message. If Democrats want to win in November, they need more than a former president’s coattails. They need a reason for voters to show up — beyond the fact that the alternative is worse.
