The Biden-Harris reelection campaign announced a substantial financial boost on Monday, revealing a staggering $117 million on hand, a figure touted by aides as the largest sum ever for any Democratic candidate at this point in the race.
The campaign highlighted its fundraising success in the fourth quarter of 2023, disclosing a total of over $97 million raised. This staggering amount encompasses contributions from the campaign, joint fundraising committees, and the Democratic National Committee. In the third quarter of 2023, the campaign reported raising more than $71 million.
Emphasizing grassroots fundraising efforts in the fourth quarter, the campaign celebrated this financial achievement as a historic milestone. Julie Chávez Rodríguez, Biden-Harris campaign manager, highlighted the accomplishment with a battle cry: The historic haul would send a clear message that the President’s coalition knows the stakes of this election and is ready to win this November.
The announcement precedes the Iowa caucuses and is strategically timed. The actual filing deadline when candidates must report is only in two weeks. Notably, most GOP presidential candidates have not yet disclosed their Q4 fundraising figures.
Biden can make good use of his historic war chest, since he continues to receive disappointing numbers from pollsters.
A recent CBS News/YouGov poll indicated that the top three GOP presidential candidates—former President Trump, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis—outpace President Biden in hypothetical general election matchups. Trump remains the frontrunner in the GOP primary, while Haley showed the strongest performance against Biden.
The poll revealed Haley with an 8-point lead over Biden, garnering 53 percent support to Biden’s 45 percent. This lead is attributed to her greater support among moderates and Independents compared to Trump and DeSantis.
Among independent voters, the poll found 59 percent supporting Haley in a matchup with Biden, with 55 percent and 54 percent backing DeSantis and Trump, respectively. In a head-to-head contest with Biden, DeSantis secured 51 percent support, while Biden received 48 percent.
The closest matchup was between Biden and Trump, with 50 percent favoring Trump and 48 percent favoring Biden.
