Hillary Clinton Raises Record-Breaking $45 Million In First Quarter Of Campaign
Hillary Clinton has raised $45 million in primary money since her campaign first began in mid-April, according to campaign officials.
According to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, the record-breaking amount was largely fueled by individual donations under $100. Ninety-one percent of the amount fundraised was from smaller donations.
President Barack Obama held the previous record for fundraising during the first quarter of a campaign, raising $41.9 million in 2011.
Not long after the amount was released, Hillary Clinton tweeted a handwritten note to her followers thanking them for their support.
“Thank you so much for being part of this campaign. I’m grateful for all you’ve done and excited for what comes next. When the road ahead is tough, you need the best people by your side. That’s why I’m thankful for you.”
During the three-month period, Hillary Clinton personally attended 58 fundraisers across 18 states, a large number since she is currently considered the Democratic frontrunner.
While the amount is record-breaking, according to an e-mail sent to supporters Tuesday, Hillary Clinton’s campaign was about 4,000 donations short of their goal of 50,000 during the final stretch of the first quarter.
There were doubts that Hillary Clinton could run a successful campaign that was centralized around grassroots donations, but campaign manager Robby Mook informed supporters that those assumptions were incorrect.
“It’s the result of hundreds of thousands of you stepping up to stand with Hillary from the very beginning. Many people doubted whether we could build an organization powered by so many grassroots supporters. Today’s announcement proves them wrong.”
Meanwhile, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton’s closest competitor, told CNN that he has already received 200,000 donations from supporters, making it clear that he is a force to be reckoned with in terms of popularity. Sanders is aiming for a campaign entirely funded by grassroots supporters.
Martin O’Malley trails behind Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders significantly, only raising $331,000 on Actblue after launching his bid in late May.
During Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign, she raised $36 million within the first fundraising quarter. That year, only 80 percent of donations were for $100 or less.
The campaign has made its goal of raising over $100 million by the end of 2015, a goal that seems very achievable given the current pace.
Candidates have a deadline of July 15 to file financial disclosure forms with the Federal Election Commission. When the information is released, it will serve as the first look for the public as to who is donating, and how much, to the campaigns.
[Photo By Joe Raedle/Getty Images]
