(CN) – Outdone by the fundraising efforts of many of Joe Biden and other Democratic rivals in the race for the White House, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris said Friday that she raised almost $12 million over the last three months.
The first-term California senator’s haul falls millions short of second-quarter totals recently announced by fellow presidential candidates Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg. Harris’ campaign says over 279,000 people contributed an average of $39 and $2 million in online contributions rolled in over the first 24 hours following her highly praised debate performance last week.
Campaign manager Juan Rodriguez said Harris has raised more than $23 million – while shunning corporate donations – since kicking off her campaign this past January.
“As it has been from the beginning, this campaign is powered by the people. These resources will help expand Kamala’s growing strength in this primary and put her in position to win the Democratic nomination,” Rodriguez said in a statement.
The lion’s share of Harris’ second-quarter donations came before the primetime debate where she chided Biden for his opposition to the use of school busing to integrate public schools in the 1970s.
“There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bussed to school every day,” Harris said. “That little girl was me.”
Harris’ vaulted toward the top of several national polls after the clash with Biden during last week’s debate in Miami.
Harris’ campaign immediately took advantage of her viral debate moment and by the next day was offering T-shirts with a photo of Harris as a child and the phrase “That little girl was me.” Rodriguez said more than 1,400 people bought the $30 T-shirt from the campaign’s online store, giving her a boost over the last few days of the fundraising period.
Harris spent much of the last week campaigning in her home state as well as a three-day swing in Iowa, and she’s scheduled to be in South Carolina this weekend.
Rodriguez believes Harris’ strong end-of-quarter stretch has positioned the former prosecutor for a strong summer.
“The momentum Kamala Harris is seeing right now is buoyed by hundreds of thousands of grassroots supporters who believe in her 3 a.m. agenda to address the issues keeping people up at night,” Rodriguez said.
Harris’ announcement comes days after Biden’s campaign reported a $21.5 million second-quarter haul, while Buttigieg took in $24.8 million and Sanders snagged $18 million.
Buttigieg’s camp says the numbers cement Mayor Pete’s staying power as a top-tier Democratic candidate.
“This fundraising report shows that Pete’s message is resonating with Americans, and it’s proof that we are building an organization that can compete,” said Buttigieg campaign manager Mike Schmuhl in a statement.
President Donald Trump’s campaign reported a $105 million second quarter, a total which includes fundraising by the Republican National Committee. The lone Republican challenging Trump, former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld, took in just under $700,000.
Weld’s candidacy has not been acknowledged by the Republican National Committee.
Candidates have until July 15 to report their totals to federal regulators.
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