Kamala Harris Is Raking in Campaign Cash
Democratic donors let loose a flood of pent-up cash to welcome new
candidate into the race.

Russ Choma

Democratic donors unleashed a pent-up flood of cash into the barely
established campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris with more than $100
million gushing into Democratic campaign coffers from small grassroots
donors since the news of Biden�s departure broke. At least $81 million was
raised in the first 24 hours of her campaign and major donors quickly
pledged another $150 million to a Democratic super-PAC that initially had
been set up to back Biden and is now focused on Harris.

Late Monday, the Harris campaign confirmed that they had raised $81 million
and said this adds to the $240 million they already have in the bank,
inherited from Biden�s fundraising efforts.

But it�s not just Harris who is benefitting from the donations. ActBlue,
the third-party processor of most Democratic campaign donations of less
than $200�the grassroots level of supporters�has a live ticker on their
website reporting real-time donations. One website that tracks the ticker
found that Sunday was ActBlue�s biggest fundraising date of all time.
According to the tracker, more than $66.9 million is being funneled through
the site. This haul barely surpasses the single highest day of donations
from four years ago when Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died. By
late afternoon on Monday, just about 24 hours from when momentum suddenly
began to shift towards Harris, an additional $38 million had been raised
from Democratic donors. Assuming that ActBlue�s take includes the $81
million that went to Harris� campaign, it would appear that Democratic
donors are giving heavily to other candidates as well.

While the sum is paltry compared to how much is likely to be sent by the
end of the campaign�a figure that may be well into the billions�it is an
extraordinary show of grassroots enthusiasm at a time when little or no
polling is available to assess how Harris� sudden elevation to party
favorite is viewed by the base.

The numbers compare favorably to Trump�s fundraising juggernaut. His
campaign has had enormous surges in small-dollar donations several times
this spring, but most notably following his conviction on 39 felony charges
back in May. On that day alone, Trump�s campaign raised $53 million. Those
donations helped Trump surge past Biden in fundraising totals�it won�t be
clear if Harris will take the lead once the dust settles from her entrance
into the race.

Harris also received welcome news from big donors�wealthy Democratic
supporters who are financing outside groups like super-PACs. The pro-Harris
super-PAC Future Forward said it had received $150 million in pledges since
Biden quit the race. Of course, pledges are not the same as actual
donations, but Trump also has been hauling in major pledges lately,
including a promise by Elon Musk to donate $45 million per month to a pro-
Trump super PAC.

The recent announcement from the pro-Harris super-PAC is also significant
because the Democratic Party�s wealthiest donors had made it clear they
would stop funding Biden following his disastrous debate performance last
month. The renewed pledges to donate likely are a welcome relief to Harris,
showing donors won�t stand in the way as she consolidates her nomination.