I know money doesn’t equal votes, but it can be a significant indicator when someone steps into the race and out-raises everyone else in donations.
And that’s what Beto has done in his first 24 hours as a presidential candidate.
From Fox News:
Beto O’Rourke, whose entry into the 2020 presidential race last week was accompanied by immense media fanfare, is already rolling in campaign cash.
The field’s newest candidate reported raising a whopping $6.1 million online in the first 24 hours after his announcement, marking a new record for the 2020 Democratic primary race.
“In just 24 hours, Americans across this country came together to prove that it is possible to run a true grassroots campaign for president — a campaign by all of us for all of us that answers not to the PACs, corporations and special interests but to the people,” O’Rourke, a former Texas congressman who lost last year’s Senate race to Republican Ted Cruz, said in a statement.
The previous record this year was set by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., whose campaign posted a $5.9 million haul in the first 24 hours after his 2020 launch.
The Sanders campaign touted that 223,047 individuals made contributions, averaging nearly $27 per person just like during his 2016 bid.
O’Rourke’s campaign did not break down an average but reported that the donations came from every state and territory in the country, “without a dime from PACs, corporations or special interests.”
Sen. Kamala Harris of California, who announced her candidacy in January, brought in more than $1.5 million during her first day as a candidate. And last month Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota raised $1 million in her first 48 hours after announcing her bid.
Well that’s got to be a kick in the stomach for the rest of the field, especially Bernie. He ran second against Hillary in 2016, amassed a lot of voters, and now he’s been bested in donations by newcomer Beto.
I guess Beto-mania is still alive in the Democratic party.
Of course he may have gotten a little help from Trump, who ridiculed him the other day for waving his arms around like a crazy person.