The campaigns of Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders revealed this week that the two top-tier contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination trailed Pete Buttigieg in second-quarter fundraising.
Biden on Wednesday said he raised $21.5 million in the period, while Sanders has reported raising $18 million. Buttigieg has brought in $24.8 million.
In the coming days, other Democratic contenders also are likely to disclose their fundraising totals ahead of a July 15 deadline when the figures must be reported — especially the politicians who are pleased with their numbers.
Biden’s team emphasized in a Wednesday email to supporters that the former vice president’s campaign “raised more per day than any other presidential campaign.” The Democratic front-runner was relatively late in officially entering the 2020 race, announcing his run on April 25, or almost a third of the way into the second quarter. The average donation to Biden during the quarter was $49 as more than 256,000 donors made over 436,000 contributions.
“After just two months in this race, we have seen Americans in every corner of the country chip in to join this battle for the soul of our nation,” said Biden’s campaign manager, Greg Schultz, in a news release.
Sanders’ campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, announced in a Tuesday conference call with reporters that the Vermont senator’s team raised $18 million from ”grassroots contributions” in the quarter and also transferred $6 million to the campaign from prior accounts. The Sanders team said the average donation was $18 amid nearly 1 million individual contributions, as it emphasized how it’s attracting money from the working class.
“There are other candidates out there who are intentionally making the decision to go into closed-door fundraisers and solicit money from high-end bundlers in the corporate executive suite,” Shakir said, when asked about how the Sanders campaign differs from Buttigieg’s 2020 effort and Biden’s push. “When you do that … as president of the United States you’ve compromised yourself.”
Buttigieg’s team revealed its haul on Monday, saying it had an “amazing quarter.” It said the average donation was $47 as more than 294,000 people contributed in the second quarter.
“This fundraising report shows that Pete’s message is resonating with Americans, and it’s proof that we are building an organization that can compete,” said the South Bend, Ind., mayor’s campaign manager, Mick Schmuhl, in an email to supporters that announced the total.
In the past quarter’s final days, Buttigieg’s campaign talked up the mayor’s performance in the first Democratic primary debates in Miami to drum up donations. The campaign said in a Saturday email to supporters: “On the debate stage, Pete proved that he’s the candidate to lead us through this moment between eras in the life of our nation.”
Some analysts said Buttigieg delivered a strong showing in Miami, perhaps ranking only behind California Sen. Kamala Harris, who drew significant praise for her strategy and execution. Just ahead of the debate, Buttigieg had faced criticism from angry South Bend residents after a white police officer fatally shot a black man.
“Mayor Pete’s admission of failures in curbing systemic racism in his hometown of South Bend, Indiana, and his arguably reasoned and accountable defense, (in our view) offered the second-most notable moment of the two-day debates,” said Capital Alpha Partners analysts in a note.
Read more: Harris hits Biden on busing and ends ‘food fight,’ sparking talk that she won debate
And see: Harris faces backlash from Biden supporters
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign said Tuesday that Trump and his committees raised $54 million in the second quarter. When joint fundraising with the Republican National Committee is included, the total is $105 million for the quarter. After the Democrats pick a presidential nominee next year, he or she will be able to jointly raise money with the Democratic National Committee and get more than $2,800 per donor.
Among the lower-tier Democratic presidential hopefuls, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet’s campaign reported his second-quarter fundraising on Wednesday, saying he brought in $2.8 million and also transferred over $700,000 from his Senate campaign account.
Check out: Democratic presidential hopeful Bennet braces for a crowded debate
And see: These are the 25 Democrats who are running for president
In the first quarter, Sanders raised the most among the Democratic presidential hopefuls, bringing in $18 million. Harris raised $12 million in the first quarter, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas scored $9 million, Buttigieg said his total was $7 million and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts brought in $6 million. Trump posted a first-quarter haul of $30 million, as the RNC raised additional $46 million.
Biden didn’t disclose a first-quarter haul because he didn’t enter the 2020 race officially until April 25. But the former vice president’s campaign did announce it raised $6.3 million in its first 24 hours, besting the Day 1 totals of his rivals.
Related: After Harris attack, Biden scores endorsement from Atlanta’s black female mayor
Also read: Beto O’Rourke says he’s unaware of his Q2 fundraising numbers
In the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls, Biden has support of 27%, ahead of Harris and Sanders at 15% each, Warren at 14%, Buttigieg at 5% and O’Rourke at 2%. Bennet gets 0.5%. Two post-debate polls have shown the other Democrats gaining significantly on the front-runner, but another survey suggested he still has a real edge on his rivals.
Also read: Julian Castro stands out in debate
This is an updated version of a report that was first published on July 1, 2019.
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