Following President Joe Biden’s announcement that he would not run for re-election, the Democratic Party has successfully raised $100 million through its primary fundraising platform, ActBlue.
In just two days, ActBlue, which supports Democratic groups, saw a significant influx of donations, as reported by Ryan Murphy, a developer at The Marshall Project. While this tally isn’t official and is based on ActBlue’s comprehensive donation tracker established in 2004, it offers insight into their fundraising effectiveness ahead of scheduled disclosures.
On Sunday alone, the platform attracted an impressive $66.9 million for Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign launch, marking the highest single-day fundraising event for ActBlue in the current election cycle. This surpassed previous extensive donation days, including September 30, 2020, which coincided with the first presidential debate between Biden and Trump.
Additionally, the surge in donations brought ActBlue’s total fundraising to $14 billion since its inception two decades ago. In contrast, WinRed, the Republican fundraising platform that started in late 2019, has raised about $4.3 billion.
ActBlue reported a wave of new small-dollar donors, indicating many made their first-ever contributions in the wake of Biden’s announcement, showcasing a robust grassroots movement.
In the 24 hours following Biden’s declaration and Harris’s endorsement, Future Forward, a super PAC allied with Biden, secured $150 million in new commitments from major donors. Swing Left, which aims to support the eventual Democratic nominee, raised over $160,000 during the same period.
Roger Altman, founder of Evercore, expressed strong support for Harris’s campaign, predicting it would be well-funded. Notable Democratic donors, including George and Alex Soros, have also shown their backing.
Historically, Biden’s earlier fundraising peaks occurred following his notable defeats against Trump during debates, generating around $28 million between June 27 and 28. After Trump faced criminal charges, Biden raised $19.2 million soon after, while Trump and his supporters collected $69 million within just two days of the conviction.
From April to June, pro-Biden organizations raised $332.4 million, whereas pro-Trump groups amassed $431.2 million, leaving Biden with $281 million in hand compared to Trump’s $336.2 million by the end of June.