Hickenlooper finishes Q2 in the back of the field with $1.1M haul
John Hickenlooper’s presidential campaign had less than $1 million in the bank at the end of the last fundraising quarter, according to finance records made public Monday — fresh evidence of how dire the situation is for Colorado’s former governor.
The disappointing balance — $836,276.16 — was all that was left of the $1.1 million Hickenlooper’s team raised during the fundraising quarter that ended June 30. Hickenlooper’s second-quarter haul is a fraction of what frontrunners — and even other low-polling candidates — in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary raised.
Hickenlooper’s financial report is not altogether surprising. Earlier this month, he lost several members of his senior staff, including his campaign manager and national finance director. And in an interview with the Des Moines Register’s editorial board last week, Hickenlooper acknowledged he had a hard time connecting with donors.
It was a startling admission for a candidate whose campaign boasted early on that he could outraise competitors — especially other Western governors. To the contrary, Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee recorded $3 million in second-quarter donations, and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock brought in $2 million.
Hickenlooper has attempted to reboot his campaign, and is reminding everybody that he has been counted out before. His team sounded an optimistic note Monday, despite the grim financial news.
“The race is wide open,” Peter Cunningham, Hickenlooper’s new spokesman, said in a statement.
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, the other Coloradan running for the Democratic nomination, announced earlier that he raised $3.5 million during the two months since he joined the race. According to his campaign finance report filed Monday, he has a little more than $2 million in the bank.
Pete Buttigieg led the field of Democratic White House hopefuls in secondquarter financing with $24.8 million, a jaw-dropping sum for a candidate who entered the race months ago as the littleknown mayor of South Bend, Ind. He was followed by former Vice President Joe Biden, who raised $21.5 million. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren rebounded from a mediocre first quarter to come in third with $19.1 million. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders posted $18 million, while California Sen. Kamala Harris reported raising about $12 million.
One of the most immediate challenges for candidates who have struggled to gain traction is notching a high enough donor count to qualify for the next round of debates.
The Democratic National Committee has increased the thresholds to reach the fall debate stage, leaving a wide swath of the field scrambling to qualify.