House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) has raised nearly $26 million for the Democratic Party so far this year, according to her political team.
Most of the $25.9 million was sent to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to help Democrats try to regain control of the House of Representatives, the Washington Post reported Monday. The DCCC is the official campaign arm for Democrats in the House.
The group faced backlash Monday after its chairman, Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D., N.M.), announced that the DCCC would fund pro-life Democratic candidates for the 2018 midterm elections.
Pelosi has sent $24.7 million to the DCCC so far in 2017, an amount almost double the contributions she gave to the committee two years ago in an off-year election.
Pelosi's fundraising power is one of the reasons why she remains leader of the Democratic caucus. Criticism of Pelosi's leadership has grown after the Democrats lost and failed to retake the House in four straight elections, starting in 2010, and after they lost a series of congressional special elections this year.
After the 2016 presidential election, Rep. Tim Ryan (D., Ohio) mounted an unsuccessful challenge against Pelosi. Although Pelosi won her leadership race, over 60 Democrats voted against her.
Pelosi has continued to defend her leadership.
"My leadership is recognized by many around the country, and that is why I’m able to attract the [financial] support that I do, which is essential to our elections, sad to say," she said.
Compared to her counterpart across the aisle, Pelosi lags behind in fundraising. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) raised $33.1 million in the first half of 2017.