Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) wasted over $14 million on his failed presidential campaign, according to estimates based on federal election records.
The latest campaign finance report filed on September 30, showed that Booker spent $13,981,713 on his campaign, according to Open Secrets. Millions more were likely spent in the following months, but the full amount will not be publicized until later in January.
Booker said that fundraising had dried up, particularly after failing to appear on the Democratic debate stage due to low polling numbers.
He wrote:
Our campaign has reached the point where we need more money to scale up and continue building a campaign that can win — money we don’t have, and money that is harder to raise because I won’t be on the next debate stage and because the urgent business of impeachment will rightly be keeping me in Washington.
Booker raised $6.6 million in the fourth quarter, after barely clearing $6 million in the third quarter.
Booker announced his decision just days after former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro announced his exit from the race, after spending about seven million on his failed campaign.
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) spent over $25 million on her failed presidential campaign and former Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) spent about $14 million on his attempt to win the presidency.