In the third quarter that ended last month, Kamala Harris’s campaign team and its affiliated Democratic groups collectively raised about $6.33 billion, bringing its total fundraising to over $10 billion. This sets a new record for the most funds raised in a quarter for a presidential campaign. As the final stretch of the presidential election approaches, Kamala Harris maintains a significant financial advantage over the Republican candidate, Donald Trump.
In just September, the Vice President’s campaign team, the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and state committees raised nearly $3.6 billion, with Kamala Harris’s campaign team raising about $2.22 billion, more than three times that of former President Trump’s campaign.
According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings released late on Sunday, Kamala Harris’s campaign team had raised over $2.218 billion, while Trump’s campaign team had raised nearly $63 million.
Similarly last month, Harris’s team spent more than its income, allocating about $2.7 billion for large-scale advertising campaigns, reaching out to voters through broadcasts, television, internet, billboards, and other channels.
According to federal filings, Kamala Harris’s campaign team and its affiliated committees had $3.46 billion in funds available at the start of October.
Trump’s campaign team, the Republican National Committee, and its affiliated groups reported raising $160 million in September, up from the $130 million reported in August. They started October with $2.83 billion in funds.
Before submitting filings to the FEC, Kamala Harris’s campaign team did not disclose the full extent of its fundraising in September, including additional contributions from the DNC and various state Democratic committees.
Since July, when Harris took over as the Democratic candidate following Joe Biden, her campaign team has consistently reported significantly higher fundraising totals each month compared to Trump and the Republican Party, a departure from the traditional scenario.
However, on Sunday night, Harris’s campaign team disclosed that 95% of the donations received in the third quarter were under $200. The team stated that approximately 6 million donors contributed over $131 million to Harris, including 4.3 million first-time donors in this election cycle.
Furthermore, Harris benefited from the star power effect, which boosted donation amounts. Her campaign team reported that she raised $55 million during a weekend blitz fundraising event in California at the end of September. An event in Los Angeles raised $28 million, with many celebrities including Jessica Alba, Lily Tomlin, and Stevie Wonder in attendance. She also raised $27 million at an event in San Francisco where former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was present.
During the previous weekend, Harris raised $27 million in a grand fundraising event in New York City.
*This article references reporting from The Associated Press.*