Wednesday was the deadline for 2016 presidential campaigns to file financial reports with the Federal Elections Commission, and two things are already apparent: There will be a lot of money in the 2016 presidential race, and Jeb Bush is pulling ahead, thanks mostly to his super PAC Right to Rise:
Bush, the Republican former governor or Florida, has raised $11.4 million in his 16 days as an official candidate — $9.6 million from people who maxed out their donations at $2,700 — and Right to Rise said last week it has raked in $103 million, bringing Bush's total so far to $119 million (the extra $5 million is from other super PACs). All together, Republican candidates have brought in more than $280 million for an election 16 months away, Politico notes.
Hillary Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner, has a total of $71.5 million, with $47.5 million in contributions directly to her campaign and $24 million to allied super PACs, primarily Priorities USA Action. Only about 17 percent of Clinton's direct haul came from small donations of $200 or less. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Clinton's closest rival for the Democratic nomination, has brought in $15.2 million, mostly from smaller donors. Clinton has used her money differently, too, spending more than $18 million from her war chest to set up a national campaign.
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