The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee continued to outpace Republicans on the fundraising circuit in September, hauling in $8.5 million for the month, new FEC filings will show. The committee retains $28.3 million in the bank. The NRCC, meanwhile, raised $2.6 million, but kept up its high burn rate, spending all but $6,000. Republicans kept $1.6 million in the bank.

The NRCC's high burn-rate can be attributed to the committee's efforts to pay down its debt, which remains at $3.85 million. Chairman Tom Cole told reporters on Wednesday that the committee pays down at least part of its debt every week, judging that a debt-free committee is more valuable than a high cash-on-hand number coupled with a high debt.

The DCCC is still $2.9 million in debt.

Only the Republican National Committee has consistently outraised its Democratic counterpart this year, while the DCCC and the DSCC beat the NRCC and NRSC virtually every month. The RNC pulled in $5.8 million and spent $5.28 million, leaving the national committee with $16.5 million in the bank. The DNC and the two Senate committees have yet to release their numbers for September.