The Democrats certainly haven’t had the most successful 2020 primary season thus far, as they struggle find both their candidate and their general footing.
In the upper echelon of candidates, the political disparity is readily apparent: On the far left are Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren – both Senators currently. In the centrist slot are former Vice President Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
Buttigieg’s rise was a bit of a surprise, but fundraising numbers released by his campaign show that this was no fluke.
In a memo from campaign manager Mike Schmuhl, Buttigieg’s campaign said Wednesday it had received more than 2 million contributions from over 733,000 people and had raised $76 million since he launched his bid for president. It’s a notable feat for the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana — Buttigieg gave up the position Wednesday when his successor was sworn in.
But that isn’t necessarily a good thing when it comes to wooing progressive voters.
Buttigieg has come under fire for holding big-dollar fundraisers with wealthy donors that, until recently, he kept private. But in the fundraising announcement, Buttigieg’s campaign touted that its average contribution was about $38. And the big-dollar fundraisers have paid off — Buttigieg’s 2019 fourth-quarter haul is far beyond the $19.2 million he raised during the third quarter of the year.
Buttigieg is solidly sitting in 4th place in national polling, holding down 8.3% of the vote according to Real Clear Politics.
