Political fundraising for the 2004 presidential election is running some 62 percent ahead of the 2000 race through the end of may, according to the Campaign Funding Institute (CFI).
CFI's analysis of 2004 presidential fundraising through May 31st shows:
TOTALS: Total fundraising continues to soar. As of May 30, the 2004 presidential candidates had receipts of $537 million, which is 62% more than the $331 million candidates raised by a comparable date in 2000. [See Table 1.]
CASH: As in April, John Kerry raised more money than President Bush for the month ($31 million to $13 million) [See Table 2] but President Bush had more money in reserve for the final months before the party conventions. (Bush had $63 million with no debt, compared to Kerry’s $27.7 million with $7.4 million in debt.) [See Table 1.]
SMALL CONTRIBUTIONS: Both candidates continue to emphasize small contributions, including Internet fundraising. President Bush has now raised more money in contributions of $200 or less than any current or past candidate, with Kerry a close second and Howard Dean third. [See Table 3.]
LARGE CONTRIBUTIONS: Contributions of $1000 or more made up $266 million (56%) of the $479 million in contributions from individuals, compared to $116 million (55%) of the $206 million from individuals four years ago. $2000 contributions – allowed for the first time – have accounted for $184 million of the $266 million in large contributions in this election [See Table 3.]
