Amy Klobuchar reports $11.4 million in 4th quarter donations, a personal high

Sen. Amy Klobuchar's (D-Minn.) presidential campaign brought in $11.4 million in the last three months of 2019, the campaign said Friday, a significant increase from the $4.8 million she raised in the third quarter. The fourth-quarter numbers are a personal best for Klobuchar, and her campaign attributed the spike in donations to a "massive surge in grassroots support" after her strong performances in fall debates. A total of 145,126 people donated to Klobuchar from October through December, her campaign said, and the average contribution was only $32.

The uptick in donations gives the Minnesota senator "the financial heft to try to turn that into a strong showing in neighboring Iowa, the first caucus state and the key to Klobuchar's campaign strategy," Politico reports, but she "still lags behind the top Democratic candidates in both polling and fundraising." Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he raised $34.5 million in the fourth quarter, Pete Buttigieg reported $24.7 million, former Vice President Joe Biden said he brought in $22.7 million, and Andrew Yang also out-raised Klobuchar with $16.5 million. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has said she raised more than $17 million.

President Trump's campaign announced Thursday that it raised $46 million in the fourth quarter and had $102 million in cash on hand. Still, "the idea that you're within striking distance of an incumbent president — not considering the party fundraising — I think that's pretty solid," said Rufus Gifford, finance director for Barack Obama's 2012 presidential campaign. "You've got to feel encouraged as a Democrat. There's obviously a lot of energy out there.

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