Buttigieg becomes the first winner in primary fundraising

Democratic presidential candidates face a critical test of their momentum and sustainability in the first-quarter fundraising period.

Some, such as Pete ButtigiegPeter (Pete) Paul ButtigiegButtigieg: "I have a lot of respect" for Hillary Clinton Several sites in the Spanish language of 2020 Dems contain typos or grammatical errors: Biden analysis, Sanders tops the poll on the democratic field 2020 in Nevada MORE, pass brilliantly. The mayor of South Bend, in Indiana, said he has raised $ 7 million in the two months since his exploration of the White House race.

This figure is significant for a candidate who did not really see his national profile fly away following an event organized by CNN City Hall last month. In the 24 hours following his appearance at the event, the Buttigieg team reported having raised more than $ 600,000.

Other candidates are on track to surpass Buttigieg's first quarter results, although they have not yet released fundraising estimates.

Former representative Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas), for example, said he had raised more than $ 6 million in the 24 hours since he was announced last month. According to his campaign, he has collected more than a million dollars just the first weekend.

Sen. Bernie SandersBernard (Bernie) SandersL's wife, Secretary of Defense, calls the photo of her with Biden, deceiver of 2020 Dems: a critical deadline for the FEC Several sites in Spanish language 2020 Dems contain typos or grammatical errors: PLUS analysis (I-Vt.), Another proven fundraising giant, said he had raised nearly $ 6 million in the first 24 hours of his White House offer and completed his first week of campaign with a campaign of $ 10 million.

Nonetheless, Buttigieg's first-quarter fundraising campaign sends a message to the other candidates: the race for democracy is everyone's game.

"It's a very open race, where very quickly, a mayor like Mayor Buttigieg goes from the black horse to the first or second rank," said John Lapp, veteran Democratic strategist.

Candidates have until April 15 to submit their campaign finance reports to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Only then will the public get a full picture of where the 2020 hopes are in the race for money.

Robert Zimmerman, a member of the Democratic National Committee, said he hoped other candidates would soon start praising their first-quarter fundraisers. But the precise moment when the campaigns choose to make these figures public can be significant in itself, he said.

"If these numbers are not high, you want to whisper them in the middle of a busy news day," he said. "And if your numbers are strong, you want to publish them on a Monday morning in a slow news cycle, if you can."

Sanders and O'Rourke have so far been among the most prolific fundraisers for modest contributions – those totaling $ 200 or less.

In an email to fans last week, the Sanders campaign said the average amount of their donations is about $ 20. O'Rourke's campaign announced an average donation of $ 48.

These talking points underscore the growing importance of basic giving in democratic politics, especially as candidates for the year 2020 eliminate campaign money from CAMPs and business lobbyists.

"This $ 25 donor will come back and give regularly, put a report on the lawn, call his neighbors," Zimmerman said. "If I had to choose to raise $ 6 million from major donors or $ 6 million from small donors, I would like small donors each time."

Some candidates or potential candidates are faced with questions about their fundraising.

Former Vice President Joe BidenJoseph (Joe) Robinette BidenL's wife, Secretary of Defense, calls the picture of her with Biden, deceiving Flores: the interaction with Biden's a violation of my physical autonomy & # 39; Biden, Sanders at the top of the 2020 Democratic battlefield in Nevada PLUS is not in the race yet, so he will not have a first quarter report to file. He thought he would wait until after the deadline to race to maximize the time he had to raise the funds for the campaign.

Meanwhile, Biden would give himself the time he needed to accumulate an impressive fundraiser, said a Democratic source who worked on the presidential campaigns.

"If you are Joe Biden, you probably want 90 days of fundraising," the source said.

Other candidates continue to woo wealthy donors and participate in very lucrative fundraisers, although they rarely, if ever, engage in such activities publicly.

Buttigieg must participate in a fundraiser in New York later this month organized by Broadway Executive, Jordan Roth. And Sen. Kirsten GillibrandKirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand2020 Dems Grabs Critical Deadline for FEC Pete Buttigieg is America's Changing Flag Bearer Five Things to Look At When 2020 Dems Release Their Tax Returns MORE (D-N.Y.) Was to take part in a fundraiser at Sally Susman, a leader of the Pfizer pharmaceutical company, on Sunday.

Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenL's wife of the Obama Secretary of Defense calls the picture of her with Biden to fool 2020 The Dems are heading towards a critical deadline of the FEC Sanders promises to halve the prices of prescription drugs when he is elected President PLUS (D-Mass.) Promised not to organize expensive fundraisers or to solicit money from wealthy donors to try to present his campaign as fueled almost exclusively by supporters of the grassroots.

It is unclear whether this strategy will yield dividends. Warren has fallen behind many of his fundraising opponents, recording a crop of less than $ 300,000 on the day of the announcement of his exploratory committee on December 31.

Warren's decision not to court high-priced donors would have been a source of friction in his campaign. The New York Times reported Sunday that Michael Pratt, the senator's longtime chief financial officer, had resigned after urging Warren not to give up the help of wealthy fundraisers.

Basil Smikle, a political consultant and former executive director of the Democratic Party of New York, said Warren's challenge was partly due to the fact that she had trouble distinguishing between herself and candidates such as Sanders, who built an extremely loyal network of supporters willing to make donations to his campaign several times.

"For Warren, she wants to stay in the top category. Fundraising will be helpful, but from my point of view, I do not think she will, because if you want someone like Bernie, you will only support Bernie, "Smikle said.

"I understand the nuance and the difference of politics between the two, but I do not know if this difference is strong enough to push people to support it over Bernie."

Warren has a financial cushion of more than $ 11 million that she has transferred to her campaign from her Senate committee.

Several other candidates also have money from previous campaigns that will be useful to them during what will certainly be a long and arduous primary contest. Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) Has more than $ 10 million in his campaign account in the Senate; Sanders has about $ 9 million in his; and Sens. Cory BookerCory Anthony BookerSeveral 2020 Dems' Spanish-Language Websites Contain Typos or Grammar: Sanders Promises to Halve Prices of Prescription Drugs if President Elected Poll: Republicans Say Ocasio-Cortez "Bad" For Democrats, but Dem voters and independents have not yet decided MORE (D-N.J.) And Amy KlobucharAmy Jean KlobucharSeveral The 2020 Dems' Spanish-language sites contain typos or grammatical errors: analysis The allegations test Biden before 2020: Hickenlooper: the claims against Biden are "very disconcerting" MORE (D-Min.) Have about $ 4 million each in their Senate committees.

While first-quarter fundraising is seen as a sign of strength and momentum in the beginning, the campaigns have no reason to hit the panic button for now, Smikle said.

"What we will see as candidates unveil their numbers is a reframing of the discussion about who will be viable," said Smikle. "But there is something to say about the climax too early. Best advice for candidates: be patient, run their race and not someone else 's. "

Others have said that a poor first-quarter fundraiser might suggest difficulties for candidates.

"The problem with power, success and strength so early, is that it tends to increase," Lapp said. "If you're struggling, every quarter becomes exponentially more difficult."