Kevin McCarthy Raises $12.3 Million in First Fundraising Event as Speaker

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Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., leaves the House chamber after the House voted to adjourn for the evening as the House met for a third day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) raised $12.3 million on Wednesday in his first fundraising event since being elected Speaker of the House.

McCarthy’s Wednesday fundraiser at the Conrad hotel was hosted by McCarthy ally and prominent D.C. lobbyist Jeff Miller.

McCarthy was joined by nearly all Republican House Committee chairs, including Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-AL), Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH), Oversight chair James Comer (R-KY), Appropriations chair Kay Granger (R-TX), and Ways and Means chair Jason Smith (R-MO), among others.

As Politico reported:

Their presence was touted by two of the hosts as a sign of Republican unity. Sam Geduldig, one of the event’s co-hosts and co-CEO of the firm CGCN, emphasized McCarthy’s members were eager to show up for him on Wednesday evening.

John Stipicevic, a former McCarthy staffer-turned lobbyist at CGCN and another fundraiser co-host, maintained that McCarthy was in “lock step” with his committee chairs and his conference.

“While all the pundits on national TV stations or all over the world, talking about the deals that he cut — which they can’t explain by the way — weakened him as a speaker, I don’t think his members view him as weakened in any way at all,” said Geduldig. “I think he’s much stronger, and gaining strength, and gaining momentum every minute.”

The cost of attendance for the fundraiser was $50,000, with co-hosts contributing $100,000, and hosts $250,000.

The money will reportedly go to McCarthy’s reelection campaign, his leadership PAC, and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

McCarthy’s camp is hopeful it will beat its previous first quarter fundraising record set in 2022, when he raised $31.5 million.

Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.

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