The conventional wisdom has it that Bernie Sanders won’t win the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, that he’s too far left, too old, too Bernie.

Yet the 78-year-old senator from Vermont, who suffered a heart attack last fall, continues to rake in cash from tens of thousands of Americans who believe he’s the best hope for the country.

Sanders pulled in $34.5 million in donations during the fourth quarter 2019, once again leading the money race in the still-crowded Democratic field. This haul includes more than $1 million from 61,000 Oregonians, the Sanders campaign announced Friday.

Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Ind., who’s staked out a middle-of-the-road policy agenda, placed second behind Sanders with $24.7 million in donations in the fourth quarter.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, who trails Buttigieg and Sanders in most Iowa Caucus surveys but remains the leader in national polls, raised $22.7 million.

Sen Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who’s battling Sanders for the progressive vote with policies such as her wealth-tax plan, raised $21.2 million.

Oregon supporters have consistently opened their wallets for Sanders, adding up to almost $3 million for 2019. Among fourth-quarter donors overall, the most common occupation was teacher, the campaign said. The average donation was less than $20.

Sanders has been popular in the Beaver State ever since the 2016 election cycle, when he attracted huge crowds at Portland rallies that heralded his signature Medicare-for-All proposal. He won a thumping primary victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Oregon, though he failed to win the 2016 nomination.

-- Douglas Perry

@douglasmperry

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