Election 2012: Obama, Democratic Party collect combined $60 million in May

U.S. President Barack Obama reaches out to supporters on June 13, 2011 in Miami, Florida. PHOTO/File

President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party have raised a combined US$60 million in May for his re-election effort.

The totals helped Obama exceed his fundraising haul in April, when his campaign and his party raised US$43.6 million. That was slightly more than his presumed challenger in the November election, Mitt Romney, and the Republican Party, which raised about US$40 million during the month.

Romney has not yet released fundraising totals for May.

Obama and the Democratic National Committee and other state-focused funds have brought in about US$450 million during the 2012 election.

The president’s campaign staff said on Twitter that more than 572,000 people donated in May, bringing their total to 2.2 million donors for his re-election.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.