Sen. Bernie Sanders announced Tuesday his campaign was able to collect more than $25 million over the course of the third quarter of 2019, despite continuing to trail behind both Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden. The announcement puts Sanders at the top of this quarter’s totals and is the largest fundraising total, for any quarter, from any of the 2020 democratic contenders.
According to ABC News, the $25.3 million haul by the Sanders’ campaign came from 1.4 million donations, for an average contribution of $17.90. This quarterly announcement only slightly adjusts the campaign’s averages in total, which now sits at $19 from more than 3.3. million donations.
"Bernie is proud to be the only candidate running to defeat Donald Trump, who is 100 percent funded by grassroots donations — both in the primary and in the general," said Sanders’ Campaign Manager Faiz Shakir to ABC. "Media elites and professional pundits have tried repeatedly to dismiss this campaign, and yet working-class Americans keep saying loudly and clearly that they want a political revolution."
South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg also announced a large fundraising total of $19.1 million in the third quarter, falling slightly short of his $24.8 million second-quarter haul that had placed him on top of the Democratic field in the fundraising race. Buttigieg also announced nearly 182,000 new people donated to the campaign in the third quarter, bringing the number of total unique donors to more than 580,000.
Donation numbers have become increasingly important for not only showing enthusiasm generated by candidates, but as a practical concern for making the stage for future debates. The deadline for qualification for the October debate was Tuesday, with 12 candidates reaching both requirements of polls and donors.
Candidates were required to collect contributions from 130,000 unique donors, including at least 400 individual donors in at least 20 states. Candidates were also required to show at least two percent support in four qualifying national or early-state polls released between June 28 and Oct. 1, according to the Democratic Party.
While 12 candidates have reached both thresholds, Author Marianne Williamson managed to capture the proper number of donations but has yet to complete the polling requirements.
