Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) raised just short of $6 million from 225,000 donors in his first 24 hours as a presidential candidate, his campaign announced Wednesday morning, far surpassing the first-day totals brought in by any of his 2020 rivals.
Sanders raised $5.9 million by 7 a.m. ET on Wednesday and had surpassed $6 million when the campaign sent out a press release after 9 a.m. ET.
That’s far more than most of the other 2020 Democratic candidates brought in after their campaign launches. The next largest announced total came from Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), whose campaign said she raised $1.5 million from 38,000 donors in the 24 hours after her official announcement.
The average donation to Sanders’ new campaign was just below $27, about the same as the average gift he received in his last run. That low total means Sanders can continue to return to the same donors for future gifts, unlike candidates who rely on large donations, whose donors hit legal caps on how much they can give. Already, Sanders’ campaign says that donors have pledged $600,000 in monthly recurring donations, giving them a steady stream of support from now through the primaries.
Sanders built a massive national fundraising list during his 2016 campaign, and his first day as a candidate shows that many on that list are still solidly behind his campaign for president. While Sanders faces many obstacles he didn’t have in 2016, Sanders’ fundraising prowess and hardcore base of support makes him a top-tier candidate and a force to be reckoned with as the 2020 field continues to shape up.
