Bernie Sanders Raises $26 Million in April and Breaks $200 Million Raised for Campaign
WASHINGTON – Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign on Sunday announced that supporters made almost 1 million donations in April totaling $25.8 million, far surpassing the campaign’s average monthly total of $17 million.
Since the Sanders campaign was launched one year ago, his supporters have revolutionized campaign fundraising and demonstrated that he can wage a competitive campaign for president without relying on Wall Street and other special interests. More than 7.4 million contributions have poured in from more than 2.4 million donors totaling $210 million.
A key to Sanders’ fundraising success has been that his grassroots supporters consistently have contributed more to his campaign than Hillary Clinton’s big-dollar donors. Sanders’ April donations far exceeded Hillary for America's $21 million in March.
“What our campaign is doing is bringing millions of Americans into the political process,” said Jeff Weaver, Sanders’ campaign manager. “Sanders is the candidate with the most energy and excitement. He is the candidate with the best chance of winning in November. He is the candidate who is in the best position to bring a new generation of voters into the democratic process and restore the faith of working-class voters that we can have a government that works for all of us, not just the 1 percent.”
In April, the average contribution was slightly less than $26. Only 3 percent of the total came from donors who have given the maximum $2,700 an individual may donate to a candidate. More than 51 percent Hillary Clinton’s donors have maxed out.
A typical Sanders donor is 27 years old. Forty-one percent of people giving to his campaign are between the ages of 18 and 39, an unprecedented level of support from younger Americans. ‘Teacher’ is the most common profession followed by ‘student’ and ‘engineer.’
Sanders continued fundraising success comes as the presidential nomination contest with Clinton enters the final phase with 14 states, territories and the District of Columbia still to hold primaries or a caucuses. Sanders and Clinton are neck and neck in national polls with Sanders edging ahead in some surveys. He consistently is a much stronger general election candidate polling much better than Clinton in head-to-head matchups with Donald Trump or other Republican White House hopefuls.
