Obama Trumps Romney With Small Donors
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Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Alex Wong/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — In the scramble for campaign cash, President Obama has proved once again that he’s king, at least among American small-dollar donors.
Nearly half — 48 percent — of Obama’s $118 million haul in 2011 came from individuals giving $200 or less, according to a new analysis by the Campaign Finance Institute.
Small-donor contributions made up only nine percent of the 2011 fundraising total for Mitt Romney.
But it’s on the other end of the donor spectrum that Romney holds more sway: He gathered 82 percent of his funds from donors giving $1,000 or more, the Campaign Finance Institute found. Those high-dollar donors comprise just 28 percent of Obama’s total.
Looked at in absolute sums, Obama raised more money from small donors last year — $56.7 million to $56.3 million — than Romney collected from all donors combined.
Michael Malbin, executive director of the Campaign Finance Institute, said the figures could represent a significant advantage for Obama beyond the bottom line.
“Because small donors can give again, and may be willing to serve as campaign volunteers, successful small-donor fundraising can serve a political purpose that goes well beyond the reported dollars,” Malbin said in a statement.
Obama isn’t the only candidate relying on small donations to play a major supporting role in his campaign.
Newt Gingrich received $6 million, or 49 percent of his fundraising total, from contributors giving $200 or less in 2011. Ron Paul netted $12 million, or 48 percent of his total, while Rick Santorum gathered $700,000, or 32 percent of his reported total last year.
The Obama campaign said it had received contributions from more than 1.3 million donors with the average donation being $55.
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