Now that the state moved its primary to Super Tuesday, 2020 hopefuls have more reasons to visit than just to fill their coffers

California has always played the role of cash cow in national politics. With Silicon Valley in the north and the entertainment industry in the south, the Golden State has no shortage of wealthy donors for politicians to turn to when it comes to raising the much-needed funds to run a costly campaign.

But with the 2020 Democratic ticket far from decided, and the California primary moving three months earlier to Super Tuesday, candidates now have more reasons to visit the staunchly blue state than to just fill their coffers.

“Historically, California has always been the ATM of national politics, especially on the Democratic side, with candidates or incumbent presidents flying in and holding a couple of high-end fundraisers and getting out without touching the hand of a real voter,” said Brian Brokaw, a Sacramento-based Democratic consultant.

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“The dynamic has changed this cycle due to the primaries having been moved up,” he told the Guardian. “Now when candidates come to California, not only are they fundraising here, but they are engaging in retail campaigning to an extent that I’ve never seen happen at a presidential campaign, especially this far out. It feels like not a week has gone by without a top-tier presidential candidate coming to California.”

Add to the mix the largest pool of Democratic candidates in history, as well as a strong contender with a home court advantage – Senator Kamala Harris, already leads the pack with $6.6m in donations from more than 7,600 donors in California, according to Federal Elections Commission data for the first quarter – and the game has changed.

Senator Kamala Harris leads the pack in generating donations from California residents Senator Kamala Harris leads the pack in generating donations from California residents

“They’re being very public and very unapologetic about the importance of California,” said Nicole Derse, an Oakland-based political consultant and former Obama for America organizer, about the candidates. “Previously, the only real benefit you could get from coming to the Bay Area would be to increase your coffers, but now you’re building up your grassroots organization. There is a need for volunteers and a need for momentum.”

That doesn’t mean the candidates stop fundraising, however. This cycle has seen a larger emphasis on small donations than before, as Democrats intensify their charge against big money in politics and the party moves away from taking dark money or outside spending. Small-dollar donations also allow donors to give multiple times.

“That’s why you’re seeing a lot of candidates, whether it’s Mayor Pete Buttigieg or Beto O’Rourke or others, holding a fundraiser with a $50 ticket,” Brokaw said. “While they’re holding low-dollar fundraisers, they’re also getting the benefit of retail politicking. This is a kind of politicking you really only saw in early states like Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Cory Booker has garnered the second highest donation totals from California in the first quarter, with $1.2m from about 2,600 donors. Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Following Harris, the Senator Cory Booker has garnered the highest donation totals from California in the first quarter, with $1.2m from about 2,600 donors, the FEC data shows. Senator Bernie Sanders has the second highest number of donors – almost 7,000 – and the third-highest total of $785,000. Sanders received almost 24,000 donations for $200 or less, more than any other candidate. Buttigieg comes in fourth overall, with $522,000, followed by Senator Amy Klobuchar at $484,000. Senator Elizabeth Warren, who pledged to hold big-ticket fundraisers has raised more than $393,000 from about 2,600 donors.

Harris, who leads in overall donations and donors in California, has received 20,000 small-dollar donations.

Numbers for the former vice-president Joe Biden, as well as for congressman Eric Swalwell, who represents a portion of Bay Area in the House, were unavailable because they entered the race after the first-quarter donation numbers were due.

“Many donors are in the ‘speed-dating’ phase,” Brokaw said. “They’re keeping their options open, and some of them are bundling for multiple candidates. As that field narrows, we will see some of that support consolidate around some of the candidates that are doing best. But I think until then, a lot of people are spreading their love and dollars around. I’m seeing donors who are doing a Cory Booker fundraiser one week, and Kamala fundraiser the next week and then Joe Biden.”

John Pitney Jr, an American politics professor at Claremont McKenna College, expressed some concern that this initial donor generosity may come back to haunt some of the lesser-known candidates in the race.

“It’s just the arithmetic: the cost of running a campaign and the available pool of money out there,” he said. “It’s a large pool, but it’s not unlimited. Joe Biden will be able to raise a lot money all over the place. Kamala Harris will be able to raise a lot, and not just in California. But some of the other candidates will struggle. For the second-tier candidates trying to move into that top tier, the competition with that vast range of contenders is going to be a problem.”

And California is an expensive state in which to campaign. “Campaigns will have to make a lot of strategic decisions,” Derse said. “Creativity is going to play a big part. Who is going to be able to get their message out here and make waves that isn’t going to cost them million and millions of dollars?”

An energy and excitement is humming around California that hasn’t been there before for previous presidential elections, Derse said. Several candidates have already committed to attending the California Democratic convention at the end of the month, she said, and for once, candidates are making a real effort to sway votes in this staunchly blue state.

“It’s kind of fun to be courted,” Derse said. “All these volunteers who have spent the last 12 years driving to Nevada and knocking on doors have a chance to talk about the issues that are in their communities and develop their own relationships with the candidates. It’s an empowering experience for Californians.”