Nearly $80 million. That’s the haul brought in by the National Republican Congressional Committee in the first half of 2021, according to Axios. How do the numbers shake out? Here’s the AP’s analysis (emphasis is mine):

In its next filing, the National Republican Congressional Committee will report that it raised $79.2 million during the first half of the year, besting the $44.5 million raised in 2019 and marking the most ever raised for that period in the committee’s history. The committee now has $55 million cash on hand, versus more than $44 million for the DCCC.

Who or what is driving the surge? How key is Donald Trump? Politico reported on the GOP strategy this way in late May:

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) was listed as the sender on two emails around the time he delivered the rebuttal to President Joe Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress, while Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has signed seven emails around the promotion of his new book. But even on those occasions, Trump looms. In March, the RNC sent out an email under Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott’s name advertising the chance to meet — not with Scott, but with Trump.

A Republican official noted that the RNC’s efforts to send emails from people not named Donald Trump have been successful overall. But sources close to the RNC say the party also recognizes the power the former president has when it comes to bringing in small dollar donors, and that it has no plans to distance themselves from him as the former president and de facto leader of the party.

We have a fascinating year ahead. And you guessed it. North Carolina will be right in the middle of deciding the trajectory of our country via the race to control the U.S. Senate. Check out this June headline from Roll Call:

Stay informed on the views of the North Carolina candidates. You can rely on the reporting team at carolinajournal.com to highlight who believes what as we head toward yet another critical election. And you can rely on the research team at Locke to lay out the policy choices that expand freedom, and those that take us further down the big-government road.