It turns out Bernie Sanders is playing a money game.
The socialist senator from Vermont hauled in $26 million in donations in the third quarter. That nearly matches the $28 million dollars raised by frontrunner Hillary Clinton and should launch his oft-derided attempt to win the Democratic nomination into overdrive.
Despite serving more than 20 years in the US Congress, Sanders has been campaigning on his ”outsider status,” drilling down the point that he doesn’t need to raise big money from wealthy donors in order to get elected.
To that end, his campaign said almost his entire cash haul since he started running—some $40 million in the form of 1.3 million donations from 650,000 donors—has come from small-dollar contributions.
Holding only seven campaign events this past quarter, Sanders’ campaign said $25 million of the $40 million raised is still on hand. By contrast, the Clinton campaign—which held 58 fundraising events this quarter—is burning through cash more quickly, with only $32 million of the $75 million raised left.
Catching up to Clinton in the money race adds to the increasing legitimacy of Sanders’ run against Clinton, who had long been considered a sure bet. Sanders has already been gaining on Clinton in the polls, and a bigger war chest gives Sanders more ammunition as the contest heats up.