Jul 1, 2019

Cory Booker gets a fundraising bump off the first debate

Alexi McCammond

Cory Booker talks to reporters in the spin room after the debates. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Cory Booker's presidential campaign had its 3 biggest days in post-launch online fundraising after the Democratic debate last Wednesday, according to a senior campaign official.

Why it matters: The Miami debates were an opportunity for lesser-known candidates like Booker to have breakout moments. The surge in donations means it might be easier for him to reach the tougher threshold to qualify for the September debate.

Details: Since the debate, Booker's campaign has added nearly 20,000 new donors.

For comparison, Kamala Harris' campaign said they added 36,000 new donors since their debate and Julián Castro received contributions from 16,000 new donors.
A senior official from Castro’s campaign said they had their three biggest fundraising days after Wednesday’s debate, too.
The campaign official says they've raised $1 million in the past week with an average online donation of less than $20.
As of today, the aide added, Booker's campaign has received nearly 110,000 donors. Candidates have to get 130,000 unique contributions to qualify for the debates in September.
On July 15 candidates are filing their Q2 fundraising totals to the Federal Election Committee, so we'll know then who's had the most post-debate momentum.

The campaign is using part of the money to staff up in key primary states. They're hiring 19 new organizers to run Booker's field operations in South Carolina and Nevada.

Go deeper: Debates highlight the space between 2020 Democrats.

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Cory Booker gets a fundraising bump off the first debate

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