Bernie Sanders reports massive $34.5 million 4th quarter haul, topping Democratic field

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) raised $34.5 million in the fourth quarter, with more than 1.8 million donors chipping in an average of $18.53 per donation, the Sanders campaign announced Thursday. That brings Sanders' 2019 total to more than $96 million. His fourth-quarter haul, which includes $18 million from December alone, is the single biggest sum for any Democrat this election cycle. Candidates don't have to report their donations from October, November, and December until Jan. 31, but presidential hopefuls with good financial news to share tend to share it earlier. The Sanders campaign has not yet reported how much cash it has on hand or how much it spent last quarter.

The only other top-tier Democratic candidate who has reported total Q4 donations is Pete Buttigieg, who raised $24.7 million. Andrew Yang said Thursday he raked in $16.5 million last quarter, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) has announced $3.4 million in fourth-quarter donations, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said he has raised more than $6 million, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) — the final top-tier candidate, along with former Vice President Joe Biden — told donors she has raised at least $17 million and is shooting for $20 million.

President Trump's re-election campaign has outpaced all the Democrats and has more than $150 million cash on hand. There are still 15 Democrats running for president, and there is no clear frontrunner ahead of the first contest, the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3. The Sanders campaign said Wednesday it has gotten 5 million donations, a huge number bolstered, the campaign suggested, by repeated serial donations of $2.70.

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