Analysis

6 numbers to know from the newest 2020 presidential campaign finance filings


March proved to be a pivotal month in the 2020 presidential election. Former Vice President Joe Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee after winning big on Super Tuesday, and the spread of coronavirus upended the lives of Americans across the country, as well as the routines of the campaign trail.

All presidential candidates — those still running and those who have since dropped out — were recently required to file campaign finance reports that detailed the money they raised and spent in March. 

Here are some of the most crucial numbers to know from these new reports.

$2.3 billion: The total amount of money spent by all current and former presidential candidates combined through March 31. President Donald Trump’s campaign alone spent about $170 million. Republicans who challenged Trump combined to spend $2.6 million. And Democratic presidential candidates combined to spend $2.2 billion, with billionaire former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg alone accounting for roughly half of that sum.

$1.05 billion: The total amount of his own money that billionaire former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg pumped into his unsuccessful presidential campaign — spending the equivalent of about $10 million per day while he was in the race. In March alone, Bloomberg spent $158 million, despite dropping out of the race on March 4, the day after Super Tuesday.

$390 million: The amount of money that small-dollar donors giving $200 or less collectively contributed to Democratic presidential candidates through March 31. Such donors have given $53 million to Democrat Joe Biden, accounting for 39% of the $130 million his campaign raised through March 31.

$94 million: The amount of money that small-dollar donors giving $200 or less collectively contributed to President Donald Trump’s campaign through March 31 — about 38% of the $260 million he raised through March 31.

16: The number of outside groups — such as super PACs and dark money groups — that have spent at least $1 million in the 2020 presidential race. These 16 groups have combined to spend $85 million — roughly 90% of the total $94 million that has been spent by all outside groups in the presidential election so far. Overall, a total of $51 million was spent by outside groups active in the Democratic presidential primary.

$46.5 million: The amount of money that the two super PACs looming the largest over the 2020 presidential race had in the bank heading into April. America First Action — a super PAC that has been endorsed by President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign — had $25.4 million in its coffers, while Priorities USA Action — a super PAC that has been endorsed by Democrat Joe Biden’s campaign — had $21.1 million in its reserves.

Amisa Ratliff contributed to this report.

Note: Issue One’s analysis of Donald Trump’s campaign finance filings was aided by data from the Campaign Finance Institute, a project of the National Institute on Money in Politics.