Vice President Kamala Harris has reportedly raised over $1 billion in campaign funds in less than 80 days since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee. This amount exceeds the $853 million raised by former President Donald Trump for his 2024 campaign and allied committees. The rapid pace at which Harris reached this fundraising milestone is unprecedented, surpassing the rates of past presidential candidates.
In comparison, President Biden’s 2024 campaign did not reach the $1 billion mark until August, shortly after Harris took over the top of the ticket. This achievement was celebrated by the Harris campaign as the fastest a presidential campaign had reached the milestone. The fundraising figures for Harris include contributions from her campaign, allied joint committees, and the Democratic National Committee.
While the Trump-Vance campaign raised $160 million in September and had $283 million cash on hand, the Harris-Walz campaign brought in $361 million and ended August with $404 million in cash across its political operation. Some allies of the Harris campaign have expressed concerns that the massive fundraising success could lead to complacency and a false sense of security among supporters, emphasizing the need for urgency and hard work in the final stretch of the election.
Despite Harris’s significant fundraising advantage over Trump, the 2024 presidential race remains tight. According to RealClearPolitics polling data, Harris currently holds a 2.2 percentage point lead over Trump in national multicandidate polls. However, Trump is ahead in the no-tossup map of battleground states, causing anxiety among Democrats who fear a repeat of Trump’s unexpected victories in 2016 and 2020.
The Harris-Walz campaign and the DNC have announced plans to funnel over $25 million into down-ballot races to support Democratic candidates, demonstrating a strategy to leverage their financial resources in key congressional races. Despite their financial advantage and extensive advertising efforts against Trump, the outcome of the 2024 election is still uncertain, with the potential for unexpected results given past electoral trends.
With the election approaching, both the Harris-Walz campaign and Team Trump are focused on mobilizing their supporters and maximizing their resources to secure victory. The potential impact of the record-breaking fundraising efforts by Harris and her allies remains to be seen, as political campaigns enter the crucial final stages before Election Day. Democrats are cautiously optimistic about Harris’s chances but remain vigilant in their efforts to ensure a successful outcome in the highly contested 2024 presidential race.
