Former Vice President Joe Biden, Democratic presidential nominee, stands on stage during the Democratic National Convention at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware, on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020.
Stefani Reynolds | Bloomberg | Getty Images
WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden raised $364.5 million in August for his campaign and his joint committees with the Democratic Party, a staggering amount that exceeds any single month fundraising in previous presidential general elections.
The huge figure reflects both grassroots excitement with Biden’s choice of California Sen. Kamala Harris to be his running mate, and the fundraising boost traditionally provided by party nominating conventions, which both Democrats and Republicans held virtually last month.
According to the Biden campaign, 95% of all donations were from grassroots supporters and more than 1.5 million people made their first donation in August. And approximately $205 million, or 57% of the total came from online donations.
Polls show that Biden has consistently led President Donald Trump throughout the general election, although some polls have showed the race tightening in the past week.
As president, Trump enjoys an unrivaled platform through which to reach voters over the airwaves. But the Biden campaign has consistently spent more than the Trump campaign on digital and TV advertising this summer. In August, Biden outspent Trump by 2-1, according to an analysis by the Associated Press.
Going into the final 60 days of the presidential race, the Biden campaign has reserved more than $280 million worth of TV and digital ads. A Trump campaign spokesman told the AP that they plan to spend $200 million this fall across a wide variety of states, including several that Trump won handily in 2016, like Montana and Iowa. Both of those states have high-stakes Senate races this year.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
