Harris’s election effort raises around US$500-million in a month, sources say

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U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris’s election effort has raised around US$500-million since she became the Democratic presidential candidate, sources told Reuters, an unprecedented money haul that reflects donor enthusiasm going into the Nov. 5 election.

Four sources familiar with the fundraising effort told Reuters that figure had been banked for Ms. Harris in the four weeks since she jumped into the race on July 21.

Campaign cash is critical for advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts that help bring people to the polls and persuade undecided voters to swing a candidate’s way.

Ms. Harris entered the fray after President Joe Biden stepped aside from the top of the Democratic ticket, unleashing floods of funding that had dried up in the weeks after Mr. Biden’s disastrous debate against Republican Donald Trump.

Ms. Harris raised US$200-million in the first week of her campaign while she quickly wrapped up support to become the party’s nominee.

Ms. Harris’s team raised US$310-million in July, bringing the total amount of money raised by her and Mr. Biden before he dropped out to more than US$1-billion, the most rapid crossing of that fundraising threshold in history, according to the campaign.

Mr. Trump’s campaign said it raised US$138.7-million in July and had cash on hand of US$327-million. The former president’s campaign outraised Mr. Biden in the second quarter.

Enthusiasm for Ms. Harris, whose July cash on hand came in at US$377-million, has continued into August, manifested by donations from small-dollar donors as thousands of people show up to her rallies in political swing states across the country.

Mr. Biden’s campaign committee raised US$1.04-billion in the 2020 election cycle or US$1.62-billion when combined with outside groups, according to OpenSecrets, a group that tracks money in politics.

Ms. Harris lauded Mr. Biden on Monday on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where the president, in his own remarks, touted his record and urged voters to back Ms. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, in November.

Former president Barack Obama, who is also a big fundraising draw, addressed the convention on Tuesday night, while Ms. Harris rallied voters in nearby Wisconsin.

Obama attended two high-profile fundraisers with Mr. Biden and has offered to help Ms. Harris with more.

Ms. Harris has repeatedly called herself an underdog in the race against Mr. Trump, in the hopes of preventing complacency among her voting and donor base.