Congressional Campaign Committees

Each party has two committees focused on Congress, known as the Hill committees: the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee for the House, both dating to 1866, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the Senate, dating to 1916 after senators became directly elected. They are led by sitting members of Congress chosen by their party caucuses.

The committees recruit candidates in competitive districts and states, sometimes taking sides in primaries, conduct polling and research, and spend heavily on television ads and turnout. They raise hundreds of millions of dollars each election cycle, largely by asking members of Congress to pay party dues and help raise money. Their decisions about which races to fund often decide which seats are truly contested.

Federal law limits contributions to the committees and long limited how much they could spend in coordination with their own candidates. In NRSC v. FEC, decided in 2026, the Supreme Court struck down those coordinated spending limits, letting the committees work directly with nominees on advertising. Supporters said the ruling strengthens accountable parties against outside super PACs, while critics said it opens a channel for large donors to get around contribution limits.