Vice President Kamala Harris’ recently restructured campaign claims to have broken its 2024 fundraising record, raising a staggering $310 million across its committees during July.
That’s more than double the $138.7 million former President Donald Trump’s campaign touted in July through its certification committee, and the Harris campaign is calling it “the greatest grassroots fundraising month in presidential history.”
The massive gains have propelled Harris’ campaign past the $1 billion fundraising threshold for the 2024 election cycle, making it the fastest presidential campaign in U.S. history to achieve the feat.
“This is a historic achievement for a candidate who will make history in November,” Harris campaign chair Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement.
“The overwhelming support we’ve received in such a short period of time is a clear signal that the Harris Coalition is mobilized, growing and ready to work hard to defeat Trump in November,” she added.
Following a fundraising surge in July, the Harris campaign now reports it has $377 million in cash on hand through its joint fundraising committee and the Democratic National Committee.
Trump’s team, along with its empowered committees, said it had $327 million in cash by the end of July.
The massive fundraising spree was fueled by the roughly $200 million the Harris campaign raised less than a week after President Biden abruptly dropped out of the race and endorsed his vice president.
Before Harris took over, the Trump campaign was playing catch-up in fundraising, quickly surpassing the Biden campaign’s war chest as it was then called in June.
By the end of June, Trump’s entire campaign $281 million in cash Combined with the Republican National Committee, this compares to Biden’s entire campaign. Cash holdings of $237 million The number will be even higher if combined with the Democratic National Convention, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Notably, the Biden campaign still raised more money than the Trump campaign in June, according to the FEC, but also spent nearly six times as much during the same period.
The Harris campaign currently has about $50 million more cash than the Trump campaign in the combined war chest battle.
Another bright spot for the vice president’s team: About two-thirds of the money raised came from first-time donors, and they claim that eight of their 10 busiest grassroots fundraising days occurred in July.
Specifically, the campaign said it received more than 4.2 million donations from 3 million donors in July, 2 million of whom were first-time donors.
About 94% of donations were under $200, and donors were primarily teachers and nurses, according to the campaign.
“From historic grassroots fundraising to hundreds of thousands of new volunteers, as Vice President Harris continues her case against convicted felon Donald Trump, one thing is clear: voters are excited and ready to defeat Trump again in November,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said in a statement.
The fundraising figures come amid a dramatic shift in belief among many Democrats who began July feeling despair after Biden’s dismal debate performance against President Trump and uncertainty over whether he could win the Nov. 5 presidential election.
A Democratic revolt soon ensued, ultimately leading to Biden dropping out of the race on July 21, a move unprecedented in history for such a late-stage campaign. Since then, Harris and Trump have trailed dramatically in the polls.
Democrats are now feeling a bit more optimistic and bullish about their chances of winning the November election, while Trump is working to adjust his reelection strategy to fit his new opponent.
With this huge fundraising success, the Harris campaign plans to expand on its existing investments, which include 260 campaign offices and more than 1,400 staffers across battleground states.
“Our funds go to activists canvassing door to door in DeKalb County, opening rural offices in Pennsylvania, college students setting up tables at club fairs, and more, helping to win close elections,” Rodriguez added.
The Democratic National Convention began voting on Thursday to choose the party’s official standard-bearer, and is due to close by next Monday.
The virtual nominations ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago later this month are a precaution to ensure access to the ballot.
Harris is currently seen as the leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination and is expected to announce her running mate in the coming days.
