“I recognized in the summer of last year when those first fundraising reports came on that Sen. Sanders was going to raise a lot of money,” Robby Mook said | AP Photo Clinton campaign: Sanders outraised us in January

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Eager to embrace the underdog role in New Hampshire, the Clinton campaign on Thursday unveiled the latest data point in its attempt to run from behind against Bernie Sanders — the Vermont senator outraised them in January.

Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook told reporters at a breakfast briefing hosted by Bloomberg Politics that Sanders, who reported a mammoth $20 million haul in January, had raised more money than Clinton for the month — despite the fact that Clinton had some of her all-time highest fundraising days in January.


“I recognized in the summer of last year when those first fundraising reports came on that Sen. Sanders was going to raise a lot of money,” Mook said, briefing reporters over a breakfast buffet of eggs and french toast. “I believe he will have the resources to push this campaign well into the spring. He outraised us in January, and we've been very candid with our online supporters that Sen. Sanders' online supporters have given more often, a higher proportion of his list contributes.”

“[I]n January, we had four of our 10 best fundraising days of the entire cycle," Mook said. "The first two days of this month are among those top 10 as well.”

Mook explained that Clinton canceled two high-dollar fundraisers this week because a Democratic forum and a debate were late adds to her schedule in the days leading up to the New Hampshire primary. He said the campaign is still on track to raise its target of $50 million in the first quarter and will release its January fundraising numbers soon. In an email to supporters earlier this week, raising a sense of urgency for Clinton supporters, Mook noted that Sanders raised $3 million in the 24 hours following the Iowa caucuses.

At the breakfast, Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon also sought to knock down the image of Sanders as a pure progressive above establishment politics.

“Sen. Sanders is a very skilled politician," he said while elaborating on his claim that Clinton is not a real progressive." He knows what he’s doing when he does these little hip checks."

