“Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion,” Hillary Clinton declared when she announced her presidential campaign in April. Though the race still has a long way to go, Clinton is already establishing herself as a champion in at least one way: Money. The Clinton campaign announced Wednesday that it pulled in over $45 million from mid-April to June 30, surpassing President Obama’s previous $41.9 million record for the same period of time and also Clinton’s own first-quarter record of $36 million in the 2008 race. Other 2016 White House hopefuls have not yet disclosed how much their campaigns have raised.
All candidates are required to file a full accounting of their donations and expenditures with the Federal Election Commission by July 15. The fact that Clinton’s campaign announced its $45 million figure two weeks ahead of the deadline implies confidence that the number will not be surpassed, at least not on the Democratic side—and it also suggests a certain boastful pride. “Many people doubted whether we could build an organization powered by so many grassroots supporters. Today’s announcement proves them wrong,” campaign manager Robby Mook wrote in an email to supporters. The campaign has been quick to emphasize that 91 percent of the donations were $100 or less.
The Washington Post offered an easy comparison to help readers understand the weight of Clinton’s impressive $45 million number:
First, some perspective. If I handed you a dollar bill every second, starting at midnight on April 1, you wouldn’t have $45 million until September. If I handed you a $5 bill every second—you still wouldn’t have as much as Clinton raised by the time July 1 rolled around.
Since Clinton launched her campaign, she has been on an aggressive fundraising trail across America. Her popularity over other candidates from the same party in the race has also given her access to many of the Democratic Party’s top donors and supporters.
There is a chance that Clinton’s first-quarter record this year will be surpassed by amounts on the Republican side: Jeb Bush has been rumored to take in $100 million from the super PAC Right to Rise. But it is almost certain that Clinton’s total exceeds those of the competitors in her own party. Bloomberg reports that Senator Bernie Sanders’ online campaign was at $8.3 million a few weeks ago, and that former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley seemed to have raised $331,000.
