To borrow a term from Ronald Reagan, he has “The Big Mo” (as in momentum).
Presidential hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg sent gasps through the political world as he announced his donation haul for the second quarter of 2019: a whopping $24.8 million.
$24.8 million!
The openly-gay mayor of South Bend, Indiana and Afgan war veteran caused a sensation when he announced his run for the Democratic Presidential Nomination earlier this year.
In a matter of just a few months, Buttigieg has attracted wide attention for his political style and goals, along with 400,000 unique donors.
Last week, he also drew accolades for his debate performance, in which he overshadowed early nomination front runner, Vice President Joe Biden.
According to CNN:
The South Bend, Indiana, mayor enters the third quarter of the year with $22.6 million cash on hand, campaign press secretary Chris Meagher said, and the campaign’s donor base has grown to 400,000 total unique donors for the entire campaign, with 230,000 new in the second quarter.
Buttigieg’s average contribution size for the cycle is $47.42, the aide added. Buttigieg headlined over 70 in-person fundraisers this quarter, including over a dozen large ’grassroots’ events that blend the size of a large campaign rally with the cash generation power of a fundraiser, an aide told CNN.
Buttigieg currently polls around fifth among the Democratic candidates, after Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Sen. Kamala Harris.
His grassroots campaigning has sent a clear message through the Democratic field: he’s here to stay.
Thank you to the over 400,000 of you who have invested in this campaign, and who helped us raise over $24,800,000 this quarter alone. You inspire us every step of the way, and we’re just getting started. Text SHOWUP to 25859 to keep the momentum going! pic.twitter.com/g1SIlgt4Eo
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) July 1, 2019
Related: New poll finds Mayor Pete walloping Trump in head-to-head election matchup
