Analysis

10 key numbers to know about the money in the 2020 presidential race


  • Amisa Ratliff

By Amisa Ratliff and Michael Beckel

With less than two weeks left until Election Day, huge sums of money are flowing into the 2020 presidential race, according to an Issue One analysis of new campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday. 

Here are some of the critical numbers to know from these new filings, which detail the money presidential candidates — and their allies — raised and spent through mid-October.

$2.43 billion: The total amount of money that has flowed into the 2020 election so far through the campaigns of President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden or been spent by outside groups supporting Trump or Biden in the general election. Biden and his allies have controlled about 63% of this sum ($1.52 billion), while Trump and his allies have controlled about 37% ($903 million).

$1.56 billion: The total amount of money raised through October 14 since the election began by the campaigns of President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Biden’s campaign alone has raised about $952 million, while Trump’s campaign has raised about $607 million. In other words, Biden has raised more than $1.50 for every $1 Trump has.

$866 million: The total amount of money spent in the general election through October 22 by outside group allies of President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Pro-Biden outside groups have together spent about $571 million, while pro-Trump outside groups have spent about $295 million. In other words, pro-Biden groups have spent nearly $2 for every $1 spent by pro-Trump groups.

$565 million: Total amount of money that President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign spent through Oct. 14. Trump entered the final weeks of the election with about $44 million in the bank — roughly 25% of Biden’s cash reserves.

$778 million: Total amount of money that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign spent through Oct. 14. Biden entered the final weeks of the election with about $162 million in the bank — nearly four times as much money as Trump.

$820,600: The total amount of money a single individual donor can currently give to Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee that benefits Trump’s presidential campaign, the Republican National Committee, and Republican parties in 45 states and the District of Columbia.

$830,600: The total amount of money a single individual donor can currently give to the Biden Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee that benefits Biden’s presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and Democratic parties in 46 states and the District of Columbia.

$918 million: The total amount that outside groups such as super PACs and dark money groups have spent in the 2020 presidential race. Of this sum, around $52 million was spent in the Democratic presidential primary; the rest — $866 million — was spent targeting the general election.

59%: Portion of the $918 million spent by outside groups in the 2020 presidential race that has been on negative ads — a total of $537 million (and counting).

$583 million: The total amount that the 10 top-spending outside groups — each of which has spent more than $15 million — have spent in the 2020 presidential race. Of this sum, 69% has been spent on negative ads. Notably, these 10 groups account for more than 63% of all spending by non-candidate groups in the race.