Sanders campaign has $4.6 million

WASHINGTON — Sen. Bernie Sanders' latest campaign finance report shows he has $4.6 million, a fraction of the amount necessary to mount an effective bid for the White House.

But if Sanders decides to run for the presidency, he can tap into an extensive national network of support to raise more, a close adviser said Wednesday.

"I think he's leaning towards making a decision to run," said Tad Devine, a Democratic strategist who has worked on Sanders' campaigns. "Until he does, I don't expect he'll begin raising money for a presidential campaign."

Sanders, who is up for re-election to the Senate in 2018, will decide on a presidential bid by April 30. If he decides to take on former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination, he can transfer money from his Senate campaign account to a presidential account.

He raised about $241,000 between January and March, mostly from individual contributions, according to his first-quarter campaign finance report filed recently with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Sanders received just over $13,000 from political action committees representing unions and liberal groups.

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On Saturday, Sanders will attend a house party in Hanover, N.H., his ninth trip to the state since last year. His Senate campaign says he'll discuss wealth and income inequality, climate change, and the need to overturn the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United vs. FEC and move to public funding of campaigns.

Sanders has made numerous trips to early voting states and has been encouraged by the reception he's received, Devine said.

Devine said he spent the weekend in Vermont with Sanders and his wife, Jane, discussing ideas for rolling out a potential campaign, although no details have been finalized.

"He's just wants to make sure he makes the right decision," Devine said. "He's realistic about the campaign and he's committed to running a credible campaign."

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Contact Nicole Gaudiano at ngaudiano@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ngaudiano.