Kamala Harris has reportedly raised a record $500 million in just a month since launching her presidential campaign.
The presumptive Democratic nominee’s windfall in the four-plus weeks since she entered the race July 21 has shattered all records for American political fundraising, Reuters reported, citing four campaign officials.
The huge haul reflects overwhelming enthusiasm for Harris’ candidacy from megadonors and small grassroots donors alike, especially after President Biden had hit a fundraising dry spell.
In another sign of enthusiasm for Harris, overnight television ratings revealed that 20 million Americans watched the first night of the Democratic National Convention. That outstripped the 18 million who tuned into the first night of the Republican convention last month.
Harris raised $200 million in the first week alone as Democrats raced to write checks to back her newly minted campaign.
The Democratic presidential campaign has now raised more than $1 billion overall — a figure that includes the cash raised by Biden that Harris inherited.
Her remarkable success suggests Democrats will command a financial advantage over former President Donald Trump and Republicans as the campaign heads into the home stretch.
Harris’ team already announced it raised $310 million in July, more than doubling the $139 million that Trump pulled in. The win for Democrats in July was particularly impressive because Trump had previously outraised Biden in the second quarter as the GOP nominee forged a lead in most polls as Biden stumbled before he eventually dropped out and backed his vice president.
At the end of July, Harris’ campaign reported having $377 million cash on hand, ahead of Trump with $327 million.
It wasn’t immediately known if that edge has widened since the beginning of August given the Harris gusher of campaign cash.
Democratic fundraisers say Harris has energized ordinary party loyalists and independents, with most of the donations coming from first-time donors. That is usually a sign they may open their wallets again as the campaign continues, especially with Harris drawing enthusiastic overflow crowds to campaign events.
