Illinois Senator Scores Big Time in Third-Quarter Money Hunt As He Waves Bye-Bye To John Edwards
Barack Obama appears to be the big winner so far this third quarter, meeting expectations and raking in an impressive $19 million for the democratic presidential primary elections.
Barack Obama appears to be the big winner so far this third quarter, meeting expectations and raking in an impressive $19 million for the democratic presidential primary elections.
The summer total includes donations from 93,000 new contributors, aides said. Obama also raised money for the general election, making his overall contributions more than $20 million for the quarter.The third-quarter contributions were less than Obama raised in each of the first two quarters, but is very good for the slow summer months. The total keeps him near the top of the fundraising pack. His closest fundraising rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, had not released her totals Monday, though her campaign tried to downplay expectations last week, positioning her third quarter as less successful than his.
Overall, the Obama campaign has received contributions from 352,000 donors so far this year. Contributors are limited to a maximum of $2,300 each.The campaign did not say how much money it had in the bank, an important figure as the presidential contest heads into one of the heaviest spending periods of the season. Obama has been spending heavily, especially in Iowa, where the first presidential caucus is scheduled for January.
Obama, like other major candidates, has also been raising money for the general election, but the bulk of his contributions are for the primaries. Since the beginning of the year, he has received nearly $75 million for the primaries and about $4 million for the general election.
Also on the Democratic side, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards is reporting $7 million raised in the last quarter for a total of $30 million for the year. That's half what he raised in the first quarter of the year, though he still has $12 million on hand. Edwards has said the funding puts him on track to meet his goal of $40 million by the time the first presidential contests begin in January, but he's also been talking about going to public financing, which would limit his spending to $50 million for the primary season.
Also on the Democratic side, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards is reporting $7 million raised in the last quarter for a total of $30 million for the year. That's half what he raised in the first quarter of the year, though he still has $12 million on hand. Edwards has said the funding puts him on track to meet his goal of $40 million by the time the first presidential contests begin in January, but he's also been talking about going to public financing, which would limit his spending to $50 million for the primary season.
Associated Press, via Fox news