Sanders raises more cash but Clinton makes her funds work better
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK: Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton has spent about $15 per vote so far in the race for the party’s nomination, less than her rival Bernie Sanders, who spent $22, according to campaign finance reports.
Clinton’s efficiency with money could offset concern among some of her backers that Sanders, the US Senator from Vermont, has outraised her in each of the last two months as he wages a fierce fight to get onto the presidential ballot.
The former first lady’s campaign has spent a total of $157.8 million since launching last April and has yielded a total of 10.4 million votes in state nominating contests. That includes $28.7 million for 8.7 million votes in March, the filings show.
Sanders, in turn, has spent $168.4 million since launching his bid for the White House, while netting 7.7 million votes.
Sanders’ campaign has often touted its ability to tap a large number of small donors to outraise Clinton. In March, Sanders pulled in nearly $46 million from 900,000 people, with an average donation of just over $26, it said.
That compared to $29.3 million for Clinton in March, from 400,000 people.
Some 96% of Sanders’ donors have given less in total than the $2,700 maximum, according to his campaign, meaning he can go back to them for more funds.
Some of Clinton’s backers say they are nervous about her campaign’s fundraising strategy of relying heavily on donors who are able to write big cheques.
“I think we’re going to see her do more small dollar fund raisers,” said Lorraine Hariton, who has raised more than $100,000 for the campaign.
But the Clinton campaign’s spending efficiency has helped it preserve a warchest. At the end of March, Clinton had $29 million left in the bank — more than anyone else running for president. Sanders had just $17 million.
Should she face off against Donald Trump, she will need a bank account sufficient to compete with a candidate who has mastered the knack of earning free coverage.