Why Bernie Sanders' fundraising numbers are even better than they seem

(Image credit: David McNew/Getty Images)

published 16 October 2015

Over 99.9 percent of Bernie Sanders' donors are still eligible under federal law to give more money to his presidential primary campaign — meaning the Vermont senator's wild fundraising numbers aren't likely to let up anytime soon. Sanders has raised nearly $41.5 million since April, The Huffington Post reports, with only .039 percent of those donors having hit the $2,700 maximum allowed in a primary. Of Sanders' 680,959 donors, only 270 have hit that donation ceiling.

Sanders average third-quarter donation was for $30, according to his campaign, and he was the first 2016 candidate to reach a million donors, helping him rake in $27 million in the third quarter. Hillary Clinton only leads by a nose: Her campaign raised $28 million in the same period.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.