Analysis

9 numbers to know about the latest campaign finance filings in the presidential race


All presidential candidates and super PACs focused on the presidential race were required to file new campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by midnight on Friday.

Even as the loss of a quorum prevents the agency from performing most of its duties, the FEC continues to make campaign finance reports available on its website, for the candidates who are currently running as well as those who have dropped out of the race.

Here are some of the key numbers to know, based on an Issue One analysis of the new reports, which covered money raised and spent by candidates and super PACs through Dec. 31, 2019. 

$1 billion: Total amount of money spent by all presidential candidates combined through Dec. 31. President Donald Trump’s campaign spent $130 million. Republicans challenging Trump combined to spend about $2.3 million. And Democratic presidential candidates combined to spend about $870 million.

$250 million: Amount of money that small-dollar donors giving $200 or less collectively contributed to Democratic presidential candidates through Dec. 31.

$200 million: Amount of money that billionaires Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer each invested their 2020 Democratic presidential campaigns through Dec. 31.

$85 million: Amount of money that small-dollar donors giving $200 or less collectively contributed to Trump’s campaign through Dec. 31 — about 38% of the $220 million he’s raised.

45%: Portion of the $550 million raised through Dec. 31 by the Democratic presidential candidates not primarily self-funding that came from small-dollar donors giving $200 or less.

3: Number of Democratic presidential candidates currently running for whom small-dollar donors giving $200 or less have accounted for more than half of their campaign war chests. Those candidates are Bernie Sanders (56% of $110 million), Elizabeth Warren (53% of $82 million), and Andrew Yang (53% of $32 million). 

$52 million: Total amount of money raised by super PACs focused on the 2020 presidential race through Dec. 31. Of this sum, America First Action, a super PAC supporting President Donald Trump has raised $19 million; the rest has been raised by Democratic super PACs.

$5.5 million: Total amount of money the pro-Joe Biden super PAC Unite the Country has spent on ads since October. This ranks it as the top-spending single-candidate super PAC active in the Democratic presidential primary so far.

9: Number of lobbyists bundling campaign funds for President Donald Trump’s reelection efforts that his campaign has disclosed to the FEC, as required by law. Press reports indicate the Trump campaign has a network of more than 400 bundlers

Amisa Ratliff contributed to this report.