Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders continued to lead with small donors, collecting 63 percent of his contributions in checks for less than $200. | AP Photo Sanders outspent Clinton in January

Bernie Sanders didn't only outraise Hillary Clinton in January. He outspent her too.

The Vermont senator's campaign dropped $34.9 million last month, $15 million more than Clinton spent, but also $13.6 million more than his campaign brought in.


The revelation of his spending spree helps demystify Sanders' surging candidacy, with close finishes in Iowa and Nevada and a crushing win in New Hampshire. And it means he had less than half as much cash left as Clinton right before the first votes were cast.

Sanders continued to lead with small donors, collecting 63 percent of his contributions in checks for less than $200. That's down slightly from the 70 percent he got from small donors across the entire election cycle, perhaps because repeat givers eventually passed the $200 threshold, but still far more than any other candidate. Clinton received 18 percent of her total from small donors in January.

The Sanders campaign spent $13.9 million on media, $6.9 million digital ads and consulting, and $4.4 million in payroll. Merchandise cost $907,000.