Bernie Sanders raised at least $48,000 from donors in North Carolina during the first three months of the year, the most of any other Democratic presidential candidate in the state.
South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg placed second in the state’s money race, raising $32,000 from North Carolinians, according to an analysis of newly filed campaign finance reports. California Sen. Kamala Harris collected $29,000 in the first fundraising quarter of the election cycle.
Meanwhile, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren raised $20,000 in the state, compared to $18,000 for former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke and $15,000 for both New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. No other candidate collected more than $10,000 from North Carolina.
The totals are likely higher for all the candidates, as campaigns are not required to publicly disclose donors who give less than $200. All told, 84 percent of Sanders’ money came from those small donors.
Nationwide, Sanders raised a total of $18.1 million in the first fundraising quarter of the election cycle, the most of any Democratic candidate. He officially entered the race in mid-February.
North Carolina is not a popular fundraising destination for White House hopefuls: the state accounted for a narrow slice of the 2020 candidates’ first-quarter total. But the state will still play an important role in the nomination process. North Carolina’s 110 pledged delegates will be up for grabs on Super Tuesday on March 3.
Sanders lost the 2016 Democratic primary in North Carolina by 14 points to Hillary Clinton.
Several candidates are already preparing for the state’s contest. For instance, Harris’ aides have met with party leaders and activists in North Carolina, and O’Rourke visited the state on Monday.
Many major Democratic donors are staying on the sidelines in the early stages of the 2020 race, waiting to see how the crowded field shakes out in the coming months before choosing a candidate. Some are backing multiple contenders at once while others are waiting for former Vice President Joe Biden to launch his campaign.
This story was originally published April 15, 2019 11:01 PM.
Ben Wieder
McClatchy DC
