The Hill News

Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel appealed to supporters to help raise money for House Democrats' campaign efforts.

Emanuel took a break from his upstart bid for mayor of Chicago to reprise an old role he held as a member of Congress, when he served for two cycles as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

"I've been looking at the polls and I don't see a single reason why Democrats can't retain our strong House Majority with enough support. But time is running out," Emanuel wrote in a fundraising email for the DCCC. "Right now, dozens of Democratic House candidates are in the promising -- but precarious -- situation of trying to maintain a narrow lead in the final 14 days."

Emanuel resigned on Fri., Oct. 1 as President Obama's chief of staff to return t! o Chicago and pursue a bid for mayor. In that time, the former congressman has focused largely on campaigning for Chicagoland voters, and not on behalf of Democrats nationally.

Still, his record during two terms (2006 and 2008) atop the DCCC leaves Emanuel the envy of most other lawmakers to hold that position. The party picked up 31 seats in the 2006 cycle, giving Democrats control of the House, and added another 21 seats in 2008.

Emanuel referenced his tenure as DCCC chairman to raise money for Democrats' efforts now.

"As a former DCCC Chairman, I know what kind of tough decisions they are being faced with and with just 14 days until Election Day, decisions are being made almost hourly about where to invest our resources," he said. "Every single dollar makes a difference."