Pete Buttigieg Says He Raised Almost $25 Million in Fourth Quarter

(Bloomberg) -- Pete Buttigieg’s campaign said the presidential candidate raised more than $24.7 million in the fourth quarter, giving the South Bend, Indiana mayor one of the largest war chests among those fighting for the Democratic nomination.

Buttigieg’s money came from 326,000 donors who gave an average of $33, the campaign said in a statement on Wednesday. His was the first campaign to release fourth-quarter fundraising totals.

Relying on a mix of in-person fundraisers and grassroots contributors, Buttigieg took in more than $76 million in 2019. He raised $19.2 million in the third quarter.

“These figures are even more astounding considering that Pete started this race less then a year ago as an unknown candidate, with just a few staffers and zero dollars in the bank,” campaign manager Mike Schmuhl said in a memo.

The campaign said its financial haul allowed it to increase its staff nationwide to 500 people. It’s opened 65 field offices in early caucus and primary states, including 35 in Iowa, where Buttigieg is narrowly leading in polls, according to an average compiled by RealClearPolitics. He also has 100 organizers in the state.

The presidential campaigns are due to file detailed, year-end reports with the Federal Election Commission on Jan. 31. But they often release fund-raising totals early to signal the strength of their support. Buttigieg has been the first candidate to release his numbers in each quarter.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bill Allison in Washington DC at ballison14@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Christopher Maloney

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