Few Senators Gave to DSCC, NRSC in November
November was a month of light giving by Senators to their parties’ campaign committees, according to recently filed campaign finance reports.The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is defending the party’s 60-seat majority in the 2010 elections, last month received $25,000 from the campaign committees of Sens. Tom Carper (Del.) and Bob Casey (Pa.), who next face the voters in 2012.The Great Plains Leadership Fund, which is the leadership PAC of Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), chipped in $5,000. Dorgan is up for re-election in 2010 and would face a difficult race only if Gov. John Hoeven (R) chooses to challenge him.The National Republican Senatorial Committee received $50,000 from the campaign committee of former Sen. Mel Martinez (Fla.), who resigned in September and had $428,000 in his campaign account as October began.Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio), who is not seeking re-election in 2010, transferred $5,400 to the NRSC last month from his campaign committee.The DSCC reported making $74,210 in “coordinated expenditures,” which are the limited outlays that party committees are authorized to make in concert with specific candidates.The DSCC spent coordinated funds last month on contests in New Hampshire ($27,864), where Rep. Paul Hodes is seeking the seat of retiring Sen. Judd Gregg (R); Kentucky ($20,000), where state Attorney General Jack Conway and Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo are the leading Democratic candidates for the seat of retiring Sen. Jim Bunning (R); Pennsylvania ($13,346), where party insiders are backing Sen. Arlen Specter against a primary challenge from Rep. Joe Sestak; and Arkansas ($13,000), where Sen. Blanche Lincoln faces a very difficult campaign for a third term.The NRSC did not make any coordinated expenditures in November.