Politics
Elections 2012: Obama campaign raises more than $53 million in March
U.S. President Barack Obama speaks on the economy at Florida Atlantic University, April 10, 2012. PHOTO/Marc Serota/Getty Images
(Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign and Democratic groups affiliated with it raised more than US$53 million in March, showing a jump in fundraising over the previous month as the general election gets under way.
More than 567,000 donors gave money to Obama’s cause and 97 percent of the donations were US$250 or less, the campaign said in a video released to supporters.
Fundraising by Obama groups has picked up gradually over the last three months. The campaign and its Democratic allies raised more than US$45 million in February and a combined US$29.1 million in January.
More than 190,000 people were first-time donors in March. The average donation clocked in at US$50.78.
“This really is how this works: people building this organization five and 10 bucks at a time to take on Mitt Romney,” Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said in the video.
Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, is the likely Republican presidential nominee expected to challenge Obama in the November 6 election.
The fundraising totals include donations directly to the Obama campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and other joint fundraising committees.
