WASHINGTON (AP) – Regrouping after heavy election losses, the Democrats’ Senate fund-raising operation has paid nearly $4 million in debts and recruited senators to raise money, enlist candidates and develop strategy for 2006.

“I think we’re here to say that the DSCC and the Democrats – we’re back,” New York Sen. Charles Schumer, the new chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said Thursday in announcing the moves.

A $1 million donation from the Democratic National Committee and help from senators who gave leftover campaign funds has allowed the DSCC to pay off its nearly $4 million in debts from the November election. The organization expects to have roughly $1 million in the bank after the bills are paid.

The DSCC has recruited Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, a rising star in the party who was elected in November, as well as Sens. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Barbara Boxer of California to raise money, line up candidates and develop 2006 election strategies for their regions.

The DSCC and its House counterpart, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, will try next year to regain congressional majorities from the Republicans, who increased their edge in Congress in last year’s voting.

The DCCC emerged from the elections about $10 million in debt.

The DNC said Thursday it would donate $1 million to the House committee.

The Democratic National Committee finished November with $9.8 million on hand and no debt after spending tens of millions on its unsuccessful effort to defeat President Bush. The DNC achieved record fund raising in the 2003-04 election cycle, taking in about $17 million more than the Republican National Committee from January 2003 to late November 2004.

DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe said the committee’s financial health was allowing it to donate to help congressional candidates earlier than it could in past midterm election cycles.