In addition to traditional fundraisers, Sen. Kamala Harris has invested heavily her campaign’s digital infrastructure in an effort to compete with small-dollar fundraising behemoths such as Sen. Bernie Sanders. | Brynn Anderson/AP Photo 2020 elections Kamala Harris raises nearly $12 million in second quarter

Kamala Harris raised nearly $12 million in the second quarter of the year, her campaign said Friday — lagging behind several other top-tier contenders in the money race even as she surges in public opinion polls.

The total about matches what Harris raised in the previous three months of her campaign and reflects the significance of a late fundraising push after a breakout debate performance in the final days of the fundraising period.


Harris raised $2 million just in the 24 hours after the first presidential debate last week, marking an upward turn in her campaign.

Harris’ second quarter total drew on donations from more than 279,000 people, including almost 150,000 new donors, her campaign said.

She raised more than $7 million through her digital program, the campaign said. Her average contribution online was $24, and her average contribution overall was $39. Harris’ online store generated nearly $500,000, including from sales of 1,400 “That Little Girl Was Me” T-shirts, the campaign said.

The phrase was a reference to Harris’ criticism during last week’s debate of former Vice President Joe Biden’s past opposition to busing and former associations with segregationist senators.

Harris surged in public opinion polls following the debate. A CNN/SRSS poll released Monday put her in second place behind Biden nationally. The latest Morning Consult survey has Harris in a tie for third place with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, trailing only Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders.

And what might have been a one-time bump has lingered, as Harris and Biden continue their back-and-forth over the controversy in recent days.

While both were campaigning in Iowa over the Fourth of July, Biden said his record on civil rights “stands for itself” and dismissed his slip back in polls.

In addition to traditional fundraisers, Harris has invested heavily her campaign’s digital infrastructure in an effort to compete with small-dollar fundraising behemoths such as Sanders.

But her fundraising over three months fell short of several other top-tier contenders. Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., said this week that he raised nearly $25 million in the second quarter. Biden reported raising $21.5 million, while Sanders raised $18 million.

“The momentum Kamala Harris is seeing right now is buoyed by hundreds of thousands of grassroots supporters who believe in her 3AM Agenda to address the issues keeping people up at night,” Harris campaign manager Juan Rodriguez said in a prepared statement. “As it has been from the beginning, this campaign is powered by the people. These resources will help expand Kamala’s growing strength in this primary and put her position to win the Democratic nomination.”