ABC News(WASHINGTON) — Former Vice President Joe Biden raised $22.7 million in the fourth fundraising quarter of 2019, his campaign announced Thursday, his best number yet of the 2020 cycle– figures that come a week after his campaign disclosed the names of their “bundlers”, individuals that helped raised more than $25,000 for the candidate.
Biden’s current fundraising numbers put him third so far compared to other 2020 campaigns who have already released their numbers for the fourth quarter of 2019. Sen. Bernie Sanders announced a staggering $34.5 million in Q4, and former Mayor of South Bend, Ind Pete Buttigeig, who raised $24.7 million.
“Biden for President doubled its online fundraising and increased its overall fundraising by 49% compared to last quarter, demonstrating financial momentum at the same time as Vice President Biden’s lead nationally has grown,” a press release sent out by the Biden campaign Thursday afternoon said.
Throughout his campaign, Biden has not shied away from high-dollar fundraisers and held more than 100 fundraisers in 2019 alone.
Late last month, following the lead of fellow candidates N.J. Sen. Cory Booker and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, the Biden campaign, released the names of more than 200 bundlers– a group that spans well connected Hollywood figures such as movie executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and current or former elected officials that have endorsed Biden.
The bundlers include Delaware Senator Chris Coons, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and former Florida Rep. Patrick Murphy.
Former top Obama economic adviser Jeff Zients, International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) President Harold Schaitberger, and Amazon General Counsel David Zapolsky, are also on the list.
The list also includes some controversial names including Andrew Goldman, who co-founded a natural gas company, a name that earned Biden criticism from environmentalists earlier this year. Also included is Cynthia Telles, a member of the Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan boards of directors, who held a Los Angeles fundraiser that drew protests last year by a local health care union.
Biden’s campaign has also said more than half of their donors in the fourth quarter were first time contributors to the campaign and 98% of all donations came from grassroots donors.
According to a memo released by the Biden campaign Thursday, an investment of nearly $5.2 million in tech and digital infrastructure helped double their online donations and also greatly expanded reach on digital and social media platforms.
Biden’s highest fundraising total prior to Thursday’s announcement came during the second quarter of 2019 — the first time his campaign reported fundraising numbers after getting into the race in April. He raised $21.5 million dollars in his first two months in the race.
His fundraising slowed in the third quarter of 2019 —only raising $15.2 Million, and ending the quarter with less than $9 million dollars cash on hand, and quickly reversing his previous opposition super PACs working on his behalf.
He has now raised $59.5 million dollars total over the course of his campaign.
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