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Warren Raises As Much Money In Three Months As O'Rourke Did In One Day

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April 10, 2019

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) raised $6 million in the first quarter of 2019, placing her behind fellow 2020 presidential candidates like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.), Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.), and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D., Texas).

Warren had $11.2 million in cash on hand despite spending 85 percent of the donations through the first three months, thanks to the $10.4 million she transferred from her 2018 Senate campaign.

Warren's team acknowledged the haul was low compared to those of other top-tier candidates.

"I won’t sugarcoat it," campaign manager Roger Lau wrote in an email to supporters. "We were outraised by some other candidates in the presidential primary this first quarter."

O'Rourke raised $6.1 million alone in the first 24 hours after he announced his campaign and $9.4 million in just 18 days.

Sanders raised more than $18 million in six weeks, and Harris raised $12 million and had $9 million in cash on hand. Warren also raised less than South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who got more than $7 million in a candidacy that's still technically in the exploratory phase.

Warren's campaign said it received an average of $28 in 213,000 grassroots donations from more than 135,000 different people and raised more than $1.4 million in the final week of the quarter.

Warren announced in February she was eschewing big-money fundraisers and dialing for dollars with wealthy donors. Her finance director, Michael Pratt, quit the campaign over disagreement with Warren's vision.

Lau solicited more donations in the email so Warren could continue the "fight."

"We don’t have to match other candidates dollar for dollar, but we do need a strong enough grassroots base to be able to keep Elizabeth’s voice front and center in this race," Lau wrote. "We do need to keep fighting to prove that we can build a presidential primary campaign without catering to the rich and powerful."

The Massachusetts lawmaker has issued numerous policy proposals in her young candidacy, such as an ultra-millionaires tax, abolishing the Electoral College, and breaking up major tech companies.

However, she has lagged far behind Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden in polling and isn't even resonating in her own state; a recent survey showed her in third place with just 14 percent support from likely Democratic primary voters in Massachusetts.