President Biden and the Democratic National Committee raised more than $72 million for his reelection in the second quarter of this year, a total that could ease some concerns among Democrats about the 80-year-old president’s bid for a second term.
The Biden campaign and the DNC said the total was raised since April 25, when Mr. Biden announced his reelection run, and the end of June. The president’s team also announced that he has $77 million cash on hand.
“We’ve seen incredible enthusiasm for President Biden and Vice President Harris’ agenda — including their commitment to restoring democracy, fighting for more freedoms and growing the economy by growing the middle class,” said Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez. “While Republicans are burning through resources in a divisive primary focused on who can take the most extreme MAGA positions, we are significantly outraising every single one of them – because our team’s strength is our grassroots supporters.”
In 2019, then-President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee raised a combined $105 million in the second quarter — about $80,000 per day more than Mr. Biden took in this year when the president was benefiting from higher campaign finance donation limits due to inflation.
Mr. Biden has faced persistent concerns from within his party about voter enthusiasm for the oldest president in U.S. history, with polls showing most Democrats want someone else to run. Some prominent Democrats said the fundraising numbers will ease those worries at least somewhat.
“They’re spending very little money. They’re holding this money for next year when they’re actually going to need it,” former Obama 2012 campaign manager Jim Messina said on MSNBC. “It’s a very slimmed down and very smartly run operation. And the other number that really strikes out is that Biden outraised all the Republicans combined … so there’s a whole bunch of Democrats who woke up … to these numbers feeling pretty good about where Joe Biden’s campaign is six months before the Iowa caucus.”
Mr. Biden’s sum is more than double Mr. Trump’s $35 million during those three months for his 2024 effort, though the former president and other Republicans in the race are not jointly raising money with the Republican National Committee and therefore face lower federal contribution limits for top donors.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has been running a distant second to Mr. Trump in polls, raised about $20 million in the first six weeks after his announcement.
The Biden campaign said the total came from nearly 400,000 donors, and 97% of donations were under $200 and more than 30% of donors had not given to Mr. Biden in 2020.
Mr. Biden’s 2020 campaign raised over $1 billion in defeating Mr. Trump.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.