House and Senate Democrats are privately telling colleagues they lack the cash they need for November, even as they describe the political climate as the best their party has seen in more than a decade, CNN’s Sarah Ferris and Patrick Svitek reported. Two dozen Democratic sources said those talks have grown more strained in recent weeks. The sources said the party risks leaving winnable seats uncontested for lack of money. They said President Donald Trump’s political operation and other Republican super PACs have poured spending into House and Senate battlegrounds at a pace Democrats have not been able to match. Party officials still said they believe they have enough to flip the House and a real shot at the Senate majority. Aides and lawmakers said frustration is rising over the smaller pool of Democratic funds. They said they worry a thin majority would make governing nearly impossible. AdImpact data shows Republicans are positioned to outspend Democrats by a wide margin on advertising in the final stretch of the midterms across House and Senate races nationwide. AdImpact figures put Republican ad reservations at $682 million through Election Day AdImpact reported that Republicans have reserved $682 million in ads from Monday through Election Day, compared with $491 million for Democrats. Julie Merz, who runs the House Democrats’ campaign committee, told CNN in a statement, “We need more cash,” and said Democrats need to fight for “the largest majority possible.” Members of Congress and governors have been traveling to New York and other donor centers to make late appeals and press their biggest contributors. Two people familiar with the talks said Democrats increasingly believe billionaire Michael Bloomberg will spend heavily on their side in the closing weeks. Senate Democrats said they expect to be outspent in every competitive race this fall. They said a late surge of Republican money could push Iowa or Alaska out of reach and give the GOP a genuine opening in New Hampshire. The spending gap is especially large in Texas, where the Democratic field is competitive. Republicans are on track to outspend Democrats by more than 8-to-1 through Election Day. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his aides have been pressing House members to give more and have discussed withholding prized committee assignments next year from those who do not, according to multiple people involved in the talks. Sources said Speaker Mike Johnson is working with a historically narrow majority, a math problem that has repeatedly complicated major Republican goals. Mike Smith, who leads the House Democrats’ largest super PAC, told CNN, “Unless more resources come in in support for House Democrats, we will ultimately leave seats on the table.” Incumbents in close races and top Senate prospects, including Chris Pappas in New Hampshire, have been asking Jeffries and other leaders to spend more before the campaign ends. Republicans have booked $24 million in New Hampshire ad time from Monday through Election Day, while Democrats have booked $15 million. An aide to Pappas said that money “goes a really long way in a small state like New Hampshire.” Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper recently told CNN, “Someone asked me what my biggest concern was, and I said that people take this race for granted. They already have allotted almost $100 million against us. They’ve been pounding us with false negative ads since July, and the race is tightening just as we knew it would.” This pattern of heavy spending is playing out in other races too, such as when Trump’s MAGA Inc. poured another $5 million into the Texas Senate race. Sources said House leaders and rank-and-file members have been arguing privately over where limited dollars will go furthest. Some Democrats said the party should try cheaper rural districts in South Texas, western Montana, and northern Maine, while the map looks favorable. Dairy farmer Blake Gendebien, running in the upstate New York seat held by Rep. Elise Stefanik, told CNN his main message to voters is: “Life’s too expensive.” Montana Democratic Party executive director Emily Marburger told CNN that union leader Sam Forstag has a real chance, then added, “We need support coming this way.” Rep. Vicente Gonzalez told CNN, “I’m like, the most competitive seat in the House. They should be like doubling down on me.” He said he is being “really thrifty” with what cash remains and added, “We’re still within the margin of error in our polling.” Jeffries told CNN last week, “We will have the money necessary to defend all of our battleground incumbents and at the same period of time, make sure we flip enough seats to take back the House of Representatives and more.” He also said, “Republicans are desperate right now. They have nothing left other than trying to unload tens of millions of dollars on the House, Senate and governor’s races.” Democratic operatives said late advertising costs more and that super PACs pay higher rates than candidate campaigns. Phil Gardner, a senior adviser to the centrist Blue Dog Action group, said, “There will be seats that Democrats could have won but they won’t because there was not enough money to rebut Republican attacks and get out a message.” A Democratic operative working on statewide races told CNN, “I still think it will be a great night for us. But I think we’ll all be thinking, ‘what if?’” People in the room said Jeffries and his team pledged another $2 million at a House Democratic strategy meeting last week. Two members seeking gavels next year pledged $175,000 and $250,000. Other lawmakers committed $10,000 to $50,000, totaling about $3 million. A person briefed on the totals said Vice President JD Vance raised roughly $20 million at a closed-door House Republican gathering a few hundred feet away. Rep. Susie Lee said, “If you want to see a gavel in your hand, you should be feeling some pain and putting some money in and helping us get the majority.” AdImpact data shows Republicans reserved $14.3 million in ads from Labor Day to Election Day in Rep. Mike Lawler’s upstate New York district, compared with $1.7 million for Democrats. Democratic operative Lis Smith, who is working on several congressional races, said, “Democrats don’t need to match the spending dollar for dollar but there’s a big difference between being outspent and being completely drowned out.” Speaking about Iowa’s open Senate seat, she said, “We cannot let Republicans completely wipe us out. Iowa is completely winnable for Democrats this cycle, it really will come down to the money.” According to audio obtained by CNN, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie told a recent fundraiser, “With all of your help and the help of all the outside groups – AFP, President Trump’s groups are going to be in helping, all kinds of other groups – I am confident that we’re going to win again in 2026.”