Independent Vermont Sen. and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders raised $34.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, more than any of his primary opponents but $10 million less than President Donald Trump.
Sanders’ presidential campaign reported the number January 1 while South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and entrepreneur Andrew Yang also reported their fundraising numbers, according to the New York Times. The 4th quarter runs between October 1 and December 31, and Yang reported $16.5 million in donations, Buttigieg $24.7 million and Trump $46 million.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 19: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) raises his hand during the Democratic presidential primary debate at Loyola Marymount University on December 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Seven candidates out of the crowded field qualified for the 6th and last Democratic presidential primary debate of 2019 hosted by PBS NewsHour and Politico. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Frontrunner Joe Biden has yet to release fundraising totals for the 4th quarter, but the Sanders campaign’s haul eclipses the totals reported by any campaign for any quarter throughout the primary.
Recent reports from within the Democratic Party suggest the expected primary outcome is a final showdown between Biden and Sanders. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren saw a surge of support in the fall, but she has since faded, leaving Sanders to nip at Biden’s heels. (RELATED: ‘Awkward’: Negative Reactions Pour In After Bernie Sanders Outburst About Being White)
“It may have been inevitable that eventually you would have two candidates representing each side of the ideological divide in the party,” Democratic insider David Brock said, according to Politico. “A lot of smart people I’ve talked to lately think there’s a very good chance those two end up being Biden and Sanders.”
Sanders suffered a heart attack in early October that threatened to end his campaign, but he made an impressive recovery and was back on the campaign trail one week later.