Presidential contender Beto O'Rourke raised $9.4 million in the 18 days he's been in the running for the Democratic nomination, his campaign announced on Wednesday.

O'Rourke brought in 218,000 contributions with teachers being the top contributor, at an average of $520,000 per day.

The former congressman brought in an astounding $6.1 million during his first 24 hours in the race, which means he raised about half his total number in the 17 days following.

Beto O'Rourke raised $9.4 million in the 18 days he's been in the running for the Democratic nomination

O'Rourke has raised an average of $520,000 per day

O'Rourke's team argued he is the ' highest per-day raising candidate in the Democratic primary'

O'Rourke's team argued he is the 'highest per-day raising candidate in the Democratic primary.'

'In just 18 days, people in every state and from every walk of life have organized in homes, contributed a few bucks online and united together to show that the power of people is far greater than the PACs, corporations and special interest that have captured, corrupted and corroded our democracy for far too long,' O'Rourke said in a statement.

'Not only is this a sign of our grassroots strength during the first two weeks of our campaign but it is a sign of what's possible when you put your full trust in the people of this country,' the Texas Democrat added.

DEM HOPEFULS' CASH SO FAR IN 2019 Bernie Sanders: $18.2 million Kamala Harris: $12 million Beto O'Rourke: $9.4 million Pete Buttigieg: $7 million Elizabeth Warren: $6 million Amy Klobuchar: $5.2 million Cory Booker: $5 million Kirsten Gillibrand: $3 million Jay Inslee: $2.25 million John Hickenlooper: $2 million Tulsi Gabbard: $1.9 million Andrew Yang: $1.7 million Marianne Williamson: $1.5 million Julian Castor: $1.1 million John Delaney: $345,000 Wayne Messam $84,000 From January 1 to March 31 Advertisement

The campaign noted 99 percent of O'Rourke's fundraising came online as he traveled 2,366 miles to visit nine states and hold 59 events in the days following his announcement.

The first quarter numbers - an important marker for a candidate's strength among supporters and in their own campaign organizational abilities - have been trickling in for the Democratic contenders.

Bernie Sanders topped the list with his $18.2 million, followed by Kamala Harris at $18 million, Pete Buttigieg at $7 million and Andrew Yang at $1.7 million.

Looking at how much each candidate raised in the first quarter divided by how long they've been in the race found that Sanders averaged $444,000 a day; Harris $171,000 a day; and Buttigieg $103,000 a day.

Not all the Democratic presidential contenders have released their first quarter numbers.

O'Rourke also announced on Wednesday he would sign into law Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee's legislation to create a commission to conduct a study on slavery reparations.

'Yes,' he told attendees at Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network conference in New York. 'Absolutely, I would sign that into law.'

O'Rourke recounted a conversation with Bryan Stevenson, the executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, and said that 'foundational to reparations is the word repair, foundational to repair is the truth.'

He had previously hinted he would not support reparations.

'I don't believe ... that [reparations] should be the primary or initial focus of the conversation,' he said campaigning in New Hampshire last month.

Reparations has become a hot topic in the race for the Democratic nomination.

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro has been pushing for them and has critizied Bernie Sanders for not supporting it.

Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Elizabeth Warren all support reparations in some form.

O'Rourke said he would sign into law Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee's (above center) legislation to create a commission to conduct a study on slavery reparations

O'Rourke also made his first comments on the allegations against Joe Biden and said it was the former vice president's decision whether to enter the 2020 race

Sharpton remains one of the most prominent African American activists in the Democratic Party and several of the contenders at speaking at his conference this week in New York.

After his talk to activists, O'Rourke was asked about the allegations of inappropriate touching against former Vice President Joe Biden.

He said Biden's accuser, former Nevada politician Lucy Flores, needs to be listened to and that it's ultimately the decision of the former vice president's on whether or not to enter the 2020 race.

'Ultimately, of course this is a decision for him to make. And then beyond that it's going to be a decision, if he's in the race, for the voters in the primary states and caucus states of this country to decide,' O'Rourke told SiriusXM host Mark Thompson.

'I think at the same time that we're concerned about his decision making process, we need to make sure that we're concerned about Lucy Flores and her ability to tell her story, and the point that she's trying to make, and the consideration that she wants everyone to take into account. So, I think all of that has to be part of the discussion,' he added.