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The campaign of Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders on Thursday announced a fundraising haul of $25 million in January, in a fresh sign of the Vermont senator’s powerful ability to attract donations.
That total appeared to be more than any of his Democratic rivals managed to raise in any quarter last year. Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg came closest to getting $25 million in a three-month period last year, as he raised a $24.8 million in the second quarter.
With January having ended last Friday, presidential campaigns have started to reveal their fundraising totals for the month. That’s ahead of a Feb. 20 deadline by which figures must be disclosed to the Federal Election Commission. Since it’s an election year, monthly hauls must be reported to the FEC by White House campaigns, rather than just quarterly figures.
The Sanders campaign said the average donation was $18.72, and that following the January total, it will ramp up staff levels in Super Tuesday states and invest in a $5.5 million TV and digital ad buy in 10 states.
“Working class Americans giving $18 at a time are putting our campaign in a strong position to compete in states all over the map,” said campaign manager Faiz Shakir in a statement.
In 2019, Sanders reported raking in the most money among the four top-tier 2020 Democrats with his total of $96 million, followed by Buttigieg with $76 million for the year, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts with $71 million and former Vice President Joe Biden with about $60 million.
Sanders was slightly behind Buttigieg in the latest results from the Iowa caucuses, which have seen glitches and delays but are providing the first voter verdicts in the battle to become Democratic nominee who will take on President Donald Trump in November.
