Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet raised $2.1 million this quarter for his presidential campaign, a slight drop from the $2.8 million he raised in the previous quarter. He has $1.8 million on hand as he continues his uphill battle for the Democratic nomination for president.
According to the Bennet campaign, 86 percent came from small donors, those contributing $25 or less, with the bulk of the contributions coming in at $100 or less. The campaign sees this as a reflection of strong grassroots support for Bennet’s candidacy.
Still, it is far less than some of the frontrunners.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders raked in $25.3 million, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg raised $19.1 million, California Sen. Kamala Harris came in at $11.6 million, Andrew Yang claimed $10 million and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who said he’d drop out if he didn’t meet his fundraising goal, brought in $6 million.
And it pales in comparison to Republican President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee which raised $125 million this quarter. Fundraising for the third quarter closed on September 30, but campaigns have until Oct. 15 to submit fundraising totals to the Federal Election Committee.
Bennet did not qualify for the October democratic presidential debate and seems unlikely to clear the hurdle for the November debates. The criteria ask for 3 percent support in four DNC-approved polls, plus 165,000 unique donors, with 600 unique donors in 20 different states.
The campaign remains optimistic. “Our strategy to run a lean, strong campaign in early states is working, and we have the resources to compete and win,” said campaign spokesperson Shannon Beckham.
