Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is out-raising every Democratic rival and it’s not even close.
Sanders is closing in on 5 million unique donors after receiving contributions from 1.6 million new donors in the last quarter, The New York Times reports. Sanders raised about $26 million in the last quarter despite eschewing big-dollar fundraisers. His average donations for the year is $18.
No other candidate has even hit 3 million unique donors yet.
“For far too long, the wealthy and the powerful have used their money to buy our candidates and our elections,” Sanders adviser Tim Tagaris told The Times. “And what Bernie Sanders is proving — for the first time — is that one can run for president without begging them for their money.”
Biden touts “biggest fundraising quarter yet”:
Former Vice President Joe Biden also rebounded from a weak quarter in which he only raised $15.7 million and is touting his “biggest fundraising quarter yet,” suggesting the total will eclipse the $21.5 million he raised earlier this year.
Biden entered the fall with just $9 million in the bank, trailing Warren’s $16.7 million and Sanders’ $24.7 million.
“That is perhaps one reason Mr. Biden reversed himself in late October and blessed his supporters’ forming a super PAC, which has already begun airing television ads in Iowa,” The Times reported. “His campaign has said he reversed his stance because of anti-Biden ads funded by Mr. Trump.”
“As the field narrows, we’re seeing Democrats coalesce and rally around Vice President Biden,” Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield told the outlet. “Voters want a candidate who can bring people together and defeat Donald Trump, and a sense of urgency about that as we approach voting is clearly driving a new wave of support.”
Pete rises as Warren slumps:
Warren’s fundraising slipped like her poll numbers this quarter, with her campaign pushing for a $20 million goal to end the year -- 20 percent less than she raised in the previous quarter.
Warren raised $24.6 million last quarter but her campaign acknowledged on Friday that she was a “good chunk behind” this quarter with $17 million raised through December.
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, however, is closing in on two million donations, including 700,000 donations this quarter.
He said his average contribution was around $30, meaning he raised over $21 million this quarter.
He raised $19.1 million and $24.6 million in the previous two quarters.
