There is no historical precedent for financing this broad and deep for congressional challengers. About half of the 92 GOP incumbents are protecting battleground districts, and some of them posted personal-record fundraising totals in the third quarter of 2018 — but they still found themselves swamped by a combination of incandescent online fundraising for Democrats and bigger donors spreading money to challengers around the country, as 61 Democrats raised over $1 million. Fifty-one House Republicans were outraised at least 2-to-1, according to POLITICO’s analysis of the latest Federal Election Commission filings, while 71 were outspent by their challenger. Only five Democratic House incumbents were outraised…

“The Democratic fundraising surge is emblematic of the intensity we have seen mounting for some time now,” said Ken Spain, a former National Republican Congressional Committee staffer. “The only thing the NRCC and the outside groups can do at this point is to do what they are currently doing – consolidate resources, cut bait in unwinnable districts and build a firewall that can hopefully hold through Election Day.”

Another Republican consultant, granted anonymity to speak candidly, put it more bluntly: “We’re getting our asses kicked. Nothing else to say.”