WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 (UPI) — Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., raised $33 million in the last quarter of 2015 and $75 million for the year, according to his campaign.
“This people-powered campaign is revolutionizing American politics,” said Jeff Weaver, campaign manager for Sanders, in a statement released Saturday. “What we are showing is that we can run a strong, national campaign without a super PAC and without depending on millionaires and billionaires for their support. We are making history and we are proud of it.”
Sanders ended 2015 with $28 million in cash from more than 2.5 million donations from more than one million donors. The campaign says only “a few hundred” gave the maximum donation of $2,700. The campaign has aggressively targeted low-dollar donations, saying the average donation received was $27.16.
Politico reported former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton raised $55 million in the last quarter of 2015, capping off a $112 million fundraising haul for the whole year. Clinton staffers told Politico they expected Sanders to out-raise Clinton in the final quarter of the year.
The New York Times reported Clinton has struggled to match Sanders’ low-dollar donor base, instead relying on big-ticket fundraisers.
Two Republican candidates – Dr. Ben Carson and Sen. Ted Cruz, have also released their fundraising totals for 2015, however the official figures are not yet available from the Federal Elections Commission.