Pete Buttigieg Says He Topped $7M In First Quarter Of Presidential Campaign

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Democratic presidential hopeful South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks at the Commonwealth Club of California on March 28, 2019 in San Francisco, California. Pete Buttigieg is campaigning in San Francisco.  (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Democratic presidential hopeful South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks at the Commonwealth Club of California on March 28, 2019 in San Francisco, California. Pete Buttig... SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Democratic presidential hopeful South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks at the Commonwealth Club of California on March 28, 2019 in San Francisco, California. Pete Buttigieg is campaigning in San Francisco. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) raised more than $7 million in his first fundraising quarter as a presidential candidate, he announced Monday morning, an impressive haul for a candidate whose name few voters knew how to pronounce when he jumped into the race.

Buttigieg announced the haul on Twitter, saying his campaign is “out-performing expectations at every turn.”

There’s some truth in that argument. Buttigieg was barely known outside of Democratic insider circles when he jumped into the race in late January, and the small city mayor wasn’t expected to make a significant mark in the race. But a series of successful speeches and town halls have vaulted him into the next tier of candidates. His background as a Navy veteran, a millennial and a married gay man, combined with a depth of knowledge and thoughtfulness in his speeches, has impressed voters and strategists alike.

Buttigieg has crept up past a pack of senators and governors who started out with higher national name identification in the race, and has been among the top six candidates running in a number of recent state and national polls in the crowded field.

The first fundraising quarter ended at midnight Sunday, a key early test of candidate strength — especially in the modern era since small-dollar fundraising now fuels most Democratic campaigns and is a good proxy measure for candidate momentum with the base.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and his fundraising juggernaut are likely to lead the way in the field — he appeared to be on pace to top $20 million for the quarter, based on the number of donors he’s announced he’s had and historical trends for the size of his donations.

Other candidates to keep an eye on are Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), who announced huge first-day fundraising hauls, as well as others like Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), who so far have been quiet about their fundraising and have struggled to some degree to break through in the race and currently are in the same neighborhood as Buttigieg in national polls. Others who have struggled even more to gain attention, like former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) have even more to prove with their fundraising.

Buttigieg isn’t yet a first-tier candidate. But he’s broken from the pack — at least for now — and the fundraising numbers indicate he may have some staying power in the crowded field.

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Notable Replies

  1. But he’s broken from the pack — at least for now — and the fundraising numbers indicate he may have some staying power in the crowded field.

    #bringonthedebates

  2. He seems to be able to avoid major (and minor) errors in his campaign, he will probably do very well in the debates, and a broad swath of the public likes him when they hear him. This will be an interesting campaign season.

  3. This is going to be interesting to watch because this guy is just obviously gifted in every way you could ask. It blazes forth in everything–his voice, the way he carries himself, his poise. And one of those gifts is being intellectually as gifted as he is and coming off as a regular, down to earth person.

  4. The dude is impressive.

  5. Respectfully disagree.

    Whether it’s his Clinton remarks or the stories that are coming out now (there are two of em) about his mayoral tenure, it’s going to be interesting to see how he responds to either in June.

    Neither is a huge (hedging) landmine, but the Clinton comments and his remark about how Trump shouldn’t have been the solitary focus in '16, could give him some ‘moments’ in June.

    Whether they’re strong enough to derail him remains to be seen.

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