WASHINGTON: Kamala Harris‘s presidential campaign has raised a staggering $540 million in the month since she emerged as the Democratic nominee, including a $82 million surge during the party convention last week, her campaign announced on Sunday.
One-third of the donations during convention week came from first-time contributors, the campaign said, with teachers and nurses among the most common occupations for donors.Two-thirds of the first-time donors were women, with the best grassroots fundraising hour coming immediately following her acceptance speech on Thursday.
“Bottom line: The Convention was a galvanizing moment for the Harris-Walz coalition throughout the country, energizing and mobilizing volunteer and grassroots donors alike,” Campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon wrote in a memo, claiming the $540 million raised in a month is “a record for any campaign in history.”
She said the campaign will be using the resources and enthusiasm to “build momentum, taking no voters for granted and communicating relentlessly with battleground voters every single day between now and Election Day – all the while Trump is focused on very little beyond online tantrums.”
The campaign also signed up individuals for 200,000 new volunteer shifts since the convention began, O’Malley Dillon said, presenting it as a sign of enthusiasm for Harris’s candidacy.
The US has the most expensive elections in the world costing billions of dollars on account of the length of its campaign (lasting several months), its expanse, and its depth, since it includes many concurrent down-ballot races for legislatures both at the federal, state, and county levels.
The 2020 elections chalked up more than $ 16billion in spending — the most expensive ever, with the Presidential campaigns, including PACs, splurging $6.6 billion. Separately, those running for legislatures and other down ballot offices spent almost $ 10 billion.
Most of the money is spent on advertising, and some on maintaining a vast campaign infrastructure with many paid staff, and on campaign events and rallies, in a country that has an almost perpetual election cycle. Aside from the Presidential elections every four years, there is also the Congressional election cycle every two years which also costs billions.
Political advertising eats up most of the campaign lolly, with the 2024 election expected to see a record $12 billion spend. Much of the spending will be in seven battleground states. For instance, the campaign on Friday released a new TV ad in battleground states, reinforcing the Harris’ economic vision as part of a $150 million television buy for August. It has earmarked another $370 million in television and digital reservations through Election Day.
Very little goes into the 43 other states where political leanings, and outcome, are fairly predictable. Even in states where the gap between the two sides is narrowing, such as Florida and Texas for Democrats and Virginia and New Jersey for Republicans, the campaigns are reluctant to spend money given the high costs involved.
In fact, a strong Texas delegation at the DNC pitched for testing the state as a battleground, with more spending, given the demographic changes in the state and the narrowing gap between the two sides (less than 5 per cent in Presidential race and 2 per cent in the Senate race).
O’Malley Dillon smacked down the idea, arguing money and resources was better spent on battleground states to reach the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House, rather than take a long shot at capturing Texas.
Texas has the second highest electoral votes (40) after California’s 54, and has stayed a red Republican state for almost half a century. The day Democrats win the state, which they have not taken since 1976 when Jimmy Carter won it, Republicans will be toast. But Democrat officials feel that day is still not here.
The Trump campaign was outraising Biden when he was the Presidential campaign, but since Biden was replaced, Kamala Harris has surged ahead. According to Open Secrets, Harris has so far raised $ 497 million in campaign money compared to Trump’s $264 million. But Trump gets more outside money ($310 million) compared to Harris’ $252 million.
One-third of the donations during convention week came from first-time contributors, the campaign said, with teachers and nurses among the most common occupations for donors.Two-thirds of the first-time donors were women, with the best grassroots fundraising hour coming immediately following her acceptance speech on Thursday.
“Bottom line: The Convention was a galvanizing moment for the Harris-Walz coalition throughout the country, energizing and mobilizing volunteer and grassroots donors alike,” Campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon wrote in a memo, claiming the $540 million raised in a month is “a record for any campaign in history.”
She said the campaign will be using the resources and enthusiasm to “build momentum, taking no voters for granted and communicating relentlessly with battleground voters every single day between now and Election Day – all the while Trump is focused on very little beyond online tantrums.”
The campaign also signed up individuals for 200,000 new volunteer shifts since the convention began, O’Malley Dillon said, presenting it as a sign of enthusiasm for Harris’s candidacy.
The US has the most expensive elections in the world costing billions of dollars on account of the length of its campaign (lasting several months), its expanse, and its depth, since it includes many concurrent down-ballot races for legislatures both at the federal, state, and county levels.
The 2020 elections chalked up more than $ 16billion in spending — the most expensive ever, with the Presidential campaigns, including PACs, splurging $6.6 billion. Separately, those running for legislatures and other down ballot offices spent almost $ 10 billion.
Most of the money is spent on advertising, and some on maintaining a vast campaign infrastructure with many paid staff, and on campaign events and rallies, in a country that has an almost perpetual election cycle. Aside from the Presidential elections every four years, there is also the Congressional election cycle every two years which also costs billions.
Political advertising eats up most of the campaign lolly, with the 2024 election expected to see a record $12 billion spend. Much of the spending will be in seven battleground states. For instance, the campaign on Friday released a new TV ad in battleground states, reinforcing the Harris’ economic vision as part of a $150 million television buy for August. It has earmarked another $370 million in television and digital reservations through Election Day.
Very little goes into the 43 other states where political leanings, and outcome, are fairly predictable. Even in states where the gap between the two sides is narrowing, such as Florida and Texas for Democrats and Virginia and New Jersey for Republicans, the campaigns are reluctant to spend money given the high costs involved.
In fact, a strong Texas delegation at the DNC pitched for testing the state as a battleground, with more spending, given the demographic changes in the state and the narrowing gap between the two sides (less than 5 per cent in Presidential race and 2 per cent in the Senate race).
O’Malley Dillon smacked down the idea, arguing money and resources was better spent on battleground states to reach the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House, rather than take a long shot at capturing Texas.
Texas has the second highest electoral votes (40) after California’s 54, and has stayed a red Republican state for almost half a century. The day Democrats win the state, which they have not taken since 1976 when Jimmy Carter won it, Republicans will be toast. But Democrat officials feel that day is still not here.
The Trump campaign was outraising Biden when he was the Presidential campaign, but since Biden was replaced, Kamala Harris has surged ahead. According to Open Secrets, Harris has so far raised $ 497 million in campaign money compared to Trump’s $264 million. But Trump gets more outside money ($310 million) compared to Harris’ $252 million.