Clinton outraises Trump in Maryland
Democrat has received 70 times the contributions the Republican has
Hillary Clinton has raised more than 70 times as much money from Maryland residents as Donald Trump in the race for the presidency, according to Federal Election Commission data.
Marylanders have given $6 million to Clinton’s campaign and $85,633 to Trump’s.
Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has received more than 25,000 donations from Marylanders. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has yet to reach 300, according to FEC data released last week that covers contributions through May 31.
The most recent FEC filings highlighted Clinton’s extensive fundraising advantage nationally. They showed Clinton with $42 million in her campaign account and Trump with $1.3 million.
Trump has largely bankrolled his own campaign and did not begin a concerted effort to raise money until last month. He raised $3.1 million nationwide in May while Clinton raised $28 million.
William A. Galston, a former policy adviser to President Bill Clinton and now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said Trump needs to meet big donors one-on-one and court them but instead has focused on holding big rallies or making television appearances.
“Many deep-pocket Republicans and conservatives think he has a lot to prove,” Galston said. “He has to go out and get it. He hasn’t shown any inclination to do it himself.”
Neither campaign responded to emails requesting comment.
In Maryland, 287 people have given money to the Trump campaign. Robert Helm, a lawyer at Dechert LLP, contributed the maximum amount allowed by law: $2,700.
Helm, who contributed in May, said Trump’s business experience and familiarity with international trade and development are assets. He also likes that Trump is “not a Washington insider.”
“He clearly has some fence-mending to do with certain groups,” said Helm, an Ellicott City resident. “To the extent he’s offended some people, he’ll need to correct that ... if he expects to win the general election.”
Don Anderson, president of Anderson Industrial Contracting, a small business located in Southwest Baltimore, gave Trump more than $290 in December and said he donated again Tuesday.
Anderson, a Cockeysville resident, said he normally does not contribute money to political campaigns but Trump’s nonpolitician vibe attracted him.
“I don’t agree with everything the guy says,” he said. “I’m a registered Republican, but I’m not an ideologue, and I don’t think he’s an ideologue . ... I’ve just had enough of politicians.”
Joe Cluster, executive director of the Maryland Republican Party, said he was not surprised by Trump’s fundraising numbers. The wealthy developer has not actively raised money for most of his campaign, Cluster said. He added that if Trump focused on raising money, he could.
“Maryland contributes a whole lot of money to the Republican Party nationally, so I wouldn’t see that he wouldn’t have the opportunity,” Cluster said. “I think they’ll raise the amount of money they need to raise.”
Donald F. Norris, director of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s School of Public Policy, said the Trump campaign’s lack of staffing has hurt the candidate. “His failure to raise any substantial amount of money in Maryland is a reflection of his failure to raise money nationwide,” Norris said, “which is a reflection of a decision on his part to not have a traditional campaign.”
Trump addressed his campaign’s finances after the latest filings. “I’m having more difficulty, frankly, with some of the people in the party than I am with the Democrats,” he said on NBC’s “Today” show. “They don’t want to come on.
“Honestly, if they don’t, it’s just fine. I can win it either way. I may be better off winning it the opposite way than the traditional way.”
Historically, contributions from Maryland residents have favored Democrats — but not nearly as much as they currently favor Clinton.
In 2012, Barack Obama raised $19 million from Maryland while Republican nominee Mitt Romney raised $11 million. In 2008, Obama raised $19.5 million while John McCain raised $3.4 million in the state.
Norris laid out two paths for Trump to secure the funding needed to win: either run a traditional campaign that depends on donors or go his own way by using his own money.