Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign surpassed its $1 billion fundraising goal in September, two months after she was sworn in as the Democratic standard-bearer, according to two people familiar with the numbers.
The figure includes money raised by the campaign committees themselves and by campaign-affiliated community fundraising committees that collect cash for the Democratic National Committee and state parties.
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The breakneck pace suggests that Harris is able to maintain the enthusiasm of donors large and small as the campaign enters the long run leading up to the Nov. 5 election. But it comes amid a historic onslaught of outside spending by super PACs and other groups that the Harris campaign is concerned about, and where Republicans have built up a significant advantage in recent months, especially when it comes to direct mail, with Elon on the ground. This is being done in collaboration with groups like Mr. Musk. Super PACs and other organizations are working to rally voters for former President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, polls show a delicately balanced race with little separation between Harris and Trump in the key battleground states that will ultimately determine the outcome of the election. Additionally, a small number of floating voters are still waiting to make decisions based on the results they have seen over the past four weeks.
Presidential elections tend to receive more money as they get closer to the election, but roughly $500 million a month is unprecedented. The Biden campaign raised just over $1 billion throughout the 2020 campaign, including the competitive primary, and partnered with outside groups to raise an additional $580 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Ms. Harris has expanded her financial advantage over Mr. Trump, who had raised just $309 million in campaign funding through the end of August.
Republican super PACs are helping to close the gap, spending more than $80 million on TV ads across the country in September, according to ad tracking service AdImpact. The largest Republican groups have reserved more than $100 million in advertising for the final weeks.
And even more money is being poured into online, mail and door-to-door campaigns.
