Behind the Candidates: Campaign Committees and Outside Groups

The modern presidential campaign isn't a single organization. Yes, there's always an official campaign committee. But for every White House candidate, there is usually at least one super PAC or other outside organization devoted to getting him or her elected. These groups can solicit unlimited donations and later use them to pummel rivals – or, as seems to be the case this cycle, take on some of the duties traditionally handled by a campaign, such as organizing town hall meetings or doing voter outreach. Outside groups aren't allowed to coordinate with official campaign committees, but they're often run by friends and former staffers – even family members – of the candidate they're helping.

Amount raised by candidates: $1,463 million

Amount raised by super PACs supporting their campaigns: $643 million



[See detailed list of candidate committees and outside groups]

Last updated: Apr 25 2019 2:21PM

Candidates Total Raised so far

NOTE: All the numbers on this page are for the 2016 election cycle and based on Federal Election Commission data released electronically on Apr 25 2019 2:21PM.

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