Democratic Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders appears to have resonated with Democratic donors last quarter and is now neck and neck with Hillary Clinton in his ability to raise funds.
He may even have an edge.
During the last fundraising quarter ending in September, Clinton held 58 fundraisers while Sanders only had seven.
Sanders raised 1.3 million donations from his 650,000 supporters. Clinton on the other hand did not reveal how many donations she had inspired. Sanders raked in $25 million by end of September. Clinton’s team did not reveal how much she had in her bank.
While the law does not require Super PACs to reveal just how much they have raised for their candidates, not until January at least, Clinton’s silence has raised a lot of eyebrows. Sanders’ figures are very much mind boggling. From a candidate that six months ago could not even be considered a legitimate presidential contender, to raising 25 million in three months, the Vermont Senator has shown he is not one to be tossed aside.
Regarding Sanders’ huge fundraisings, senior political analyst David Axelrod tweeted, “Sanders fundraising is remarkable. The (number) to keep an eye on now is cash on hand. Very possible he has more than HRC.”
Politically, Sanders’ meteoric financial rise shows two things: One is that Sanders is meeting people at the grassroots and greeting potential voters as opposed to canoodling with the same donors in dinners. The other is that Sanders has been able to conserve plenty of money, keeping away from lavish events for high end donors.
This efficiency has brought Clinton’s Democratic lead into question, with many analysts saying it reinforces what is already open knowledge within Democratic circles: Sanders is the energy candidate connecting with the masses, while Clinton is the establishment favorite struggling to connect with the people.
Having a $25 million war chest will definitely help Sanders in Iowa and New Hampshire. The senator will be able to launch an aggressive television campaign with ads focused on his candidacy. Clinton will likely outspend him in commercials, but the Vermont Senator will give her a hectic run for the voters on the ground.
Clinton has largely centralized her fundraising to Democratic regulars while Sanders has gone down to the grassroots to marshal the Democrats. If Sanders keeps his momentum steady, the Democrats will have a new front runner in the coming few months.
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