Buttigieg Campaign Press Release - Pete for America Raises More Than $24.7 Million in Q4, Totaling Over $76 Million for 2019
Over 733,000 Individual Donors Contributed This Year
Powered by grassroots energy from all 50 states, Pete for America will file an FEC report this month showing we have raised more than $24.7 million during the 4th quarter, bringing the total raised to more than $76 million since the beginning of the year. With more than 2 million donations by more than 733,000 individuals in 2019, it's clear the American people are responding to Pete's message of rallying our country together around bold solutions that will build the coalition we need to beat Trump and usher in a new era the day after Trump leaves office.
Of the over $76 million we've received this year, 98 percent of contributions were less than $200, and the average contribution was approximately $38. In the fourth quarter alone, 326,000 individuals contributed to our campaign, with an average donation of roughly $33. Our grassroots support continues to grow, and every single day we are building the strong campaign we need to compete in and win the Democratic primary.
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. But what we did have was a shared vision of bringing a new kind of politics to Washington and changing the trajectory of our country. This quarter, Pete solidified himself as a top tier presidential candidate, not by tapping into the fundraising list or bank account of a sitting Senator or someone who had run for president before, but by speaking to voters who for too long have been let down by politicians in Washington and are looking for a better path forward.
What's clear is Pete has demonstrated that he has the appeal, message, and leadership to build a winning organization to not only secure the nomination, but to defeat Donald Trump this year.
Pete has built a movement and a campaign that Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life are ready to rally around to win the White House and lead the country the day after the Trump presidency. We're seeing this in Iowa with record-setting crowds in towns big and small –– and in places that haven't seen many Democratic candidates come through. We're getting first time caucusgoers to commit to caucus for Pete. And we're visiting counties that voted for Trump in 2016 - like Elkader, Decorah and Fort Madison - and thousands are turning out for Pete week after week. Here are a few highlights of the operation we've built in 2019:
- During the fourth quarter, our campaign staff increased to over 500 people nationwide.
- We went from zero field offices at the beginning of the year in early states to 65, including 35 offices - the most of any top-tier presidential campaign - and more than 100 organizers in Iowa.
- Beyond the early states, we have a team that has been actively organizing for months across the country to help foster Pete For America leadership teams leading thousands of volunteers nationwide.
- Just this past weekend, Pete visited four Iowa counties that flipped from Obama to Trump in 2016 and drew crowds larger than any other primary candidate this cycle. He's already visited more than 20 counties that flipped from Obama to Trump. In Centerville, Iowa, Pete drew hundreds out for a town hall in a county that Trump won by 36 points. The chair of the county Democrats said it was the largest crowd she had ever seen in Centerville.
- Pete continues gain endorsements across Iowa and early states, including former seven-term state Rep. Deb Berry –– one of the longest serving African American legislators in Iowa.
In Iowa, our organizers have been talking to caucusgoers on the ground since the beginning of the summer. But our campaign has also been steadily investing in states beyond the first contest. In New Hampshire, we've grown to a staff of 70, opened offices in every single county, and have turned out one of the biggest crowds of any candidate this cycle in the state. We were one of the first to run television ads in Nevada and in South Carolina, and we've invested $2 million in paid media ahead of the South Carolina primary to continue to introduce voters to Pete in the Palmetto State. We've also built up a nationwide network of supporters and volunteers with leadership in 95 percent of congressional districts around the country. This has provided the infrastructure we need to compete in every district in every state and will pay dividends as we move beyond the early contests.
We are proud of how far we have come as a campaign, and our work continues. We are 33 days from the Iowa caucuses, 41 days from the New Hampshire primary, 52 until the Nevada caucuses, 59 days until South Carolina, and 62 days out from Super Tuesday. While we see momentum for Pete's vision of bold ideas big enough to meet our nation's challenges building across the country, we will continue to put in the work every single day to win the primary, beat Donald Trump in November, and usher in a new era of American leadership for our country.
Pete Buttigieg, Buttigieg Campaign Press Release - Pete for America Raises More Than $24.7 Million in Q4, Totaling Over $76 Million for 2019 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/365540