Campaign Cash: Obama’s Total Rivals Clinton’s
By Jeff Zeleny
Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign announced today that it had raised at least $25 million in the first quarter of the year, a tally that is tantalizingly close to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s fundraising in the same period.
The campaign says that more than 100,000 people sent contributions during the first three months of the year. Half of those people contributed through the Internet, the campaign says, which made up $6.9 million of the total amount raised. And 90 percent of the online contributions were donations of less than $100, the campaign announced during a conference call for donors this morning.
“This overwhelming response, in only a few short weeks, shows the hunger for a different kind of politics in this country and a belief at the grassroots level that Barack Obama can bring out the best in America to solve our problems,” Penny Pritzker, the campaign’s finance chairwoman, said in a statement.
The Obama campaign first released the news to the Chicago Tribune this morning. The campaign has been sitting on the figure throughout the week – after the Clinton campaign announced its $26 million take on Sunday – hoping for maximum exposure. And, of course, its own headline.
Now, the Obama campaign will get both, particularly because at least $23.9 million of the money is targeted for the Democratic presidential primary. It remains unknown how much money Mrs. Clinton raised only for the primary. Her tally included contributions earmarked for the primary and general election campaign.
Stay tuned as the temperature rises between these two Democratic rivals. |
