NEW YORK, Jan 1 —Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg raised US$24.7 million (RM101 million) in the fourth quarter, his campaign announced today, outpacing the US$19.1 million he collected in the third quarter.
The hefty total is expected to land him among the top fundraisers in the Democratic field, which has 15 contenders seeking to take on US President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election. US Senator Bernie Sanders had the largest haul in the previous quarter, raising US$25.2 million.
Buttigieg, whose term as South Bend, Indiana mayor ended with the start of the new year, raised US$76 million in 2019, his campaign said.
With only weeks until voting for the Democratic nomination begins in Iowa, candidates would typically turn their attention away from fundraising and toward meeting face-to-face with voters. The shift in attention makes the fourth-quarter fundraising hauls important to allow campaigns to have sufficient resources to be remain focused on voters, not donors.
Buttigieg has come under recent criticism for his fundraising. Fellow Democratic rival US Senator Elizabeth Warren leveled a series of attacks against Buttigieg on the debate stage in December for fundraisers he has held, including one in a Napa Valley wine cave.
Warren, who swore off holding any fundraisers, has accused Buttigieg of being influenced by those who are willing to write big checks, as large as US$2,800, to his campaign.
Buttigieg has countered that Democrats need to be willing to fundraise from anyone willing to finance their campaigns so the party can remain competitive in the general election against Trump.
His campaign touted the number of small donations he received. Over the entire year, 98 per cent of donations were smaller than US$200 and the average was US$38, his campaign said.
His campaign also provided details about how the money is being spent. The campaign staff now exceeds 500 people and he has opened 65 field offices.
Buttigieg has 100 field staff in Iowa and 70 in New Hampshire, the state which votes second, according to his campaign. — Reuters
