Their candidates have raised less than half the $84 million that experts estimate it will take to seriously threaten the Democratic majority in the House. The situation at the National Republican Congressional Committee is even bleaker.

In 2008, the committee spent more than $34 million on advertising and other assistance to candidates, according to Federal Election Commission reports. Today, the NRCC has a grand total of $4 million in the bank — and that is after one of its best fundraising months. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, by contrast, has about $18 million…

Thus far, the 51 Republican candidates hoping to challenge Democratic incumbents have raised a grand total of $20 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. As in the House, the open-seat Senate contests are more competitive, with Democratic hopefuls raising a combined total of $52 million, compared with $55 million by Republican candidates.