Aki Soga

Free Press Engagement and Insights Editor

Update: The Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver sent out an email Saturday morning announcing the campaign topped 3 million contributions

As of 10:17 am,the campaign had amassed 3,022,945 individual contributions, Weavers said in his email to supporters.

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Sen. Bernie Sanders is pushing to hit a record 3 million contributions to his campaign by the weekend, telling potential donors on Thursday, "tomorrow is the last day we can put it to work to win Iowa."

The Vermont independent making a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination faces his first real test on Monday when Iowa residents cast the first votes of the 2016 primary in caucuses throughout the state.

"When we started this campaign, no one gave us a chance," Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver wrote in a fundraising email sent out Thursday. "Together, we proved that when Americans stand together, we could raise enough money to take on the billionaire class. Thirty thousand contributions on our first day. Our millionth contribution in September. Two million in December. And a chance to reach 3 million before Iowa, just one month later."

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The email asks supporters to make a $3 donation, a signature figure for Sanders' effort to build a broad base of donors who repeatedly give modest amounts of money.

Asking for small amounts far below the federal limit for political donations creates a "bank" of donors that the campaign can turn to throughout the course of the election, as well as keep supporters engaged.

Polls show Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a virtual tie in Iowa.

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