The New York Times - Obama Campaign Raises $32.5 Million

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The New York Times - Obama Campaign Raises $32.5 Million

By Jeff Zeleny

Senator Barack Obama raised at least $32.5 million from April through June, he announced Sunday on his campaign Web site, attracting more than 258,000 contributors since entering the Democratic presidential race nearly six months ago.

As candidates tabulated how much money they raised in the year's second quarter, Mr. Obama, of Illinois, appeared to be leading contenders from either party, raising at least $31 million for the primary campaign alone. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democrat of New York, raised about $21 million for the primary, a spokesman confirmed Sunday, and about $27 million over all.

"Together, we have built the largest grass-roots campaign in history for this stage of a presidential race," Mr. Obama said, adding that 154,000 new donors had signed on in the last three months. "That's the kind of movement that can change the special-interest-driven politics in Washington and transform our country. And it's just the beginning."

Mr. Obama waited barely 12 hours after the fund-raising period closed to trumpet his success, a quarterly record for a Democratic candidate, hoping to depict widespread support for his campaign and to rebut suggestions that his candidacy is falling behind Mrs. Clinton's. If her estimate last week that she had raised "in the range of $27 million" proves true, Mr. Obama will have outpaced Mrs. Clinton for a second consecutive quarter in money that can be spent in primaries.

John Edwards's campaign said Sunday that it had raised more than $9 million, while Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico reported raising $7 million and Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut reported raising $3.25 million.

Republican candidates did not provide fund-raising figures on Sunday, but are expected to do so well in advance of the July 15 deadline for filing reports with the Federal Election Commission.

While candidates are allowed to simultaneously raise money for the primary and the general election, Mr. Obama has focused almost exclusively on primary money. The Clinton campaign has solicited both, and a spokesman, Phil Singer, estimated Sunday evening that about $6 million of its second-quarter money was intended for the general election, meaning it could be spent only if Mrs. Clinton wins the nomination.

So far this year, the Obama campaign has raised $55.7 million to be spent on winning the party's nominating fight. In the last three months, an average of 1,500 donors a day contributed to the Obama campaign, many through the Web site or in response to more unusual appeals, including a contest to have dinner with the candidate.

David Plouffe, the Obama campaign manager, said in an interview Sunday that more than 90 percent of the contributors to Mr. Obama could contribute again. In addition to courting major Democratic donors, the campaign has had fund-raisers across the country for donors making small contributions, focusing particularly on early voting states, and has built a database of supporters and volunteers from events that cost as little as $5 per person.

"This gives us a deep financial base that will continue to allow us to perform strongly throughout the course of the campaign," Mr. Plouffe said. "It also gives us a huge foundation of volunteers and organizational support."

After spending significant money on the opening contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, the campaign will rely on a grass-roots operation in the states where primaries or caucuses are scheduled Feb. 5, Mr. Plouffe said. While the campaign focused intently on raising money in those states, he said, almost no effort was directed toward raising money beyond the primary campaign.

"The general election money," Mr. Plouffe said, "is funny money."

For weeks, the Clinton campaign had been seeking to lower expectations for the second fund-raising period. A memorandum sent last week by Howard Wolfson, a top strategist for the senator, estimated that she would raise "in the range of $27 million." The campaign on Sunday had no comment on Mr. Obama's fund-raising numbers.

While a spokesman for the Clinton campaign said a more precise figure was not available yet on Sunday, advisers to Mr. Edwards held a conference call to discuss their second-quarter contributions of $9 million. After raising $14 million in the first quarter, campaign officials said they were on track to reach their goal of $40 million this year and said they were not troubled by falling behind two leading rivals.

Jonathan Prince, deputy manager of the Edwards campaign, said that slightly more than half of the $9 million - $4.7 million - came from small donations. In the first quarter, more than 80 percent of donations to the Edwards campaign were $100 and under; this quarter, more than 80 percent were $50 and under.

This reflects the campaign's effort to expand its grass-roots base and to rely more heavily on Internet donations. Mr. Prince said the number of contributors had increased by 70,000 in this quarter to reach a total of 100,000 donors.

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