Kamala Harris Says She Raised Nearly $12 Million in Second Quarter

(Bloomberg) -- Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris raised nearly $12 million in the second quarter, her campaign said Friday.

The figure puts the Californian senator fourth among Democratic candidates who've released April-June figures so far. South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg is the surprise leader with $24.8 million after beginning his campaign with little name recognition. Former Vice President Joe Biden raised $21.5 million since entering the race in late April, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders raised $18 million.

Harris's campaign said in an email that she had more than 279,000 donors in the second quarter, including 150,000 new contributors during that time; the average contribution was $39. She raised $7 million online. The average online donation was $24.

“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,” said Harris's campaign manager Juan Rodriguez.

Harris finished second among active Democratic candidates in the first quarter after raising $12 million, behind Sanders, who took in $18.2 million. The campaign said she has raised more than $23 million for her campaign.

Biden Clash

She raised $2 million after her appearance in the Democratic debate on June 27, at which she and Biden clashed over the former vice president's record on school desegregation in the 1970s, when he was a senator representing Delaware. Her campaign said she raised $3.2 million in the final three days of the quarter.

Harris's poll numbers also climbed after the debate. A Quinnipiac survey released on July 2 showed her with 20% support, virtually tied with front-runner Biden, who had 22%.

Harris's campaign store sold 1,400 T-shirts that feature the slogan, “That little girl was me,” and a photo of Harris as a young girl. It was the top-selling item for the month of June, even though it wasn't available until June 28.

The slogan on the shirt referred to a line Harris delivered in the debate, when she said that she'd been in the second class to integrate schools in Berkeley, California, and had benefited from busing. In the 1970s, Biden, then a senator from Delaware, opposed busing programs mandated by federal authorities.

Trump's Advantage

Candidates must officially report second-quarter fundraising totals to the Federal Election Commission on July 15. Some campaigns voluntarily announce the amounts they raised ahead of the deadline as a demonstration of the extent of support.

Like several other competitors for the nomination, Harris refuses to accept donations from registered lobbyists and corporate PACs.

As Democrats fight for dollars in a crowded primary field -- there are 24 candidates running -- President Donald Trump is building a large financial advantage as he prepares for the general election. His campaign manager said this week that Trump's re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee combined to raise $105 million during the second quarter and had $100 million in cash on hand.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bill Allison in Washington at ballison14@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sara Forden at sforden@bloomberg.net, Max Berley, Ros Krasny

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