(Mark Makela/Getty Images)

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) became the latest 2020 Democrat to drop out of the presidential race this month, ending a campaign that struggled to develop momentum with voters and donors.

In an email to supporters Tuesday, Harris said she didn’t have enough campaign cash to stay in the race, all while taking a veiled shot at billionaire candidates Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg.

“My campaign for president simply doesn’t have the financial resources we need to continue,” Harris’ campaign email said. “I’m not a billionaire. I can’t fund my own campaign. And as the campaign has gone on, it’s become harder and harder to raise the money we need to compete.”

Harris and her fellow former Democratic 2020 presidential candidates have spent at least $74 million, a number sure to rise as year-end campaign finance reports reveal their total spending, and as others abandon their flailing campaigns.

Harris spent the most among the departed presidential contenders, shelling out nearly $26 million through September.

Harris is the highest-profile — and the most well-funded — candidate to drop out of the race so far. The timing of Harris’ decision to drop out came just as a super PAC emerged to buoy her sinking Iowa effort with TV ads. The California senator, like former Vice President Joe Biden, initially expressed opposition to super PAC support but began to soften her stance as her campaign experienced financial troubles.

Help us keep government accountable by making a donation today.

Harris was one of several 2020 Democrats to spend more than she raised in the most recent three-month fundraising period. Harris relied heavily on big-dollar donors, but even some of her top supporters weren’t all-in on her campaign. OpenSecrets found that nearly half of Harris’ bundlers were contributing to other 2020 Democrats in addition to backing her campaign.

With Harris’ departure, South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg becomes the only active presidential candidate who has disclosed bundlers.

Former Harris aides said the campaign was disorganized and without a clear strategy, according to a report from the New York Times. Her polling numbers in Iowa steadily dropped throughout September and October as better-funded candidates bombarded the airwaves with TV ads. One of Harris’ top aides recently left her campaign to work for Bloomberg.

The unsuccessful effort did net Harris increased national recognition and an influx of contact information for potential donors. In addition, the campaign still had $10.5 million cash on hand through September, money Harris may transfer back to her Senate account or use for other political efforts at the federal level.

The 13 former Democratic candidates may have spent a ton of money on unsuccessful efforts, but presidential dropouts often benefit from building up a wealth of new contacts. Just after dropping out of the presidential race, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee sent out fundraising emails to supporters on behalf of his 2020 reelection campaign. Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas), who spent $14 million on his failed presidential bid and has $3.3 million in the bank, is leaning on his newly expanded donor base to boost an effort to flip the Texas House from red to blue, the Texas Tribune reported.

As Democrats spend millions in the presidential primary, President Donald Trump continues to amass a sizable war chest while raising big money for the Republican National Committee and vulnerable GOP senators.



For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center: Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics.For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center: [email protected]





Support Accountability Journalism At OpenSecrets.org we offer in-depth, money-in-politics stories in the public interest. Whether you’re reading about 2020 presidential fundraising, conflicts of interest or “dark money” influence, we produce this content with a small, but dedicated team. Every donation we receive from users like you goes directly into promoting high-quality data analysis and investigative journalism that you can trust.Please support our work and keep this resource free. Thank you. Support OpenSecrets ➜