Harris Raised, Spent Far More Than Trump in First Half of October

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The vice president outraised the former president by nearly three to one and outspent him by more than two to one, according to SEC filings.

Vice President Kamala Harris raised almost three dollars for every one raised by President Donald Trump in the first half of October, according to new federal filings.

On Oct. 24, the committees associated with the presidential candidates of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party filed their final financial disclosure documents with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.

Together, Harris’s fundraising committees raised about $295.3 million between Oct. 1 and Oct. 16. Trump’s corresponding committees brought in about $117 million during the same period.

In the same window, groups supporting Harris outspent Trump’s partners by more than two-to-one.

During the pivotal 16-day window, Harris’s principal campaign committee and its main allied political action committees spent about $304.5 million, while Trump’s corresponding committees expended about $143.7 million.

Harris Fundraising Profile

When Harris entered the race as the Democratic Party’s nominee in place of President Joe Biden, who dropped out on July 21, she surged ahead of the Republican candidate in polling. However, with about a week left until the election, polls show a neck-and-neck race.

Nevertheless, Harris benefitted from an already robust fundraising apparatus backing Biden and continued to extend the money lead in September and the beginning of October.

According to public records, the two committees previously reporting monthly—the principal campaign committee, Harris for President, and the hybrid PAC Future Forward, or FF PAC—raised about $186.5 million at the beginning of October. The two spent about $304.5 million during the period and began Oct. 17 with about $139.5 million in cash on hand.

Two committees previously reporting quarterly—the joint fundraising committees Harris Victory Fund and Harris Action Fund—told the FEC they brought in about $295.3 million between Oct. 1 and Oct. 16. During that timeframe, those committees sent out about $404.5 million. They closed the quarter with about $260.7 million in cash on hand.

Harris Victory Fund led the fundraising charge during the pre-election period by raising about $108.3 million in the first half of October.

As usual, the most significant individual donations went to Future Forward PAC, which collected about $104.1 million during the month. The biggest single donor to that account was a dark money group associated with the PAC.

According to its FEC filings, Future Forward received a $40 million donation from Future Forward USA Action on Oct. 8. Future Forward USA Action is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization.

According to the groups’ documents filed with the FEC and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Chauncey McLean serves as both the treasurer of Future Forward and the president of Future Forward USA Action. The same group sent the PAC a $40 million contribution in September as well.

As a 501(c)(4), Future Forward USA Action is not required to reveal its donors nor the amount they give to the organization. According to its most recent filings with the IRS, the organization did not reveal its 2022 donors.

Trump Fundraising Profile

The 45th president is considered by some to be the favorite to win the White House in 2024.

According to an average of the latest polling published by the news outlet Real Clear Politics, as of Oct. 28, Trump is polling better than Harris in all seven of the crucial battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Between Oct. 1 and Oct. 16, the six committees working to elect Trump raised about $117 million. They include the principal campaign committee, Donald J. Trump for President 2024 Inc., the super PAC Make America Great Again Inc., the qualified leadership PAC Save America, and the joint fundraising committees Trump 47 Committee Inc., Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee, and Trump National Committee JFC Inc.

The campaign committee, the qualified leadership PAC, and the allied super PAC spent about $143.7 million together between Oct. 1 and Oct. 16. The trio of funds started the second half of October with about $73 million in cash on hand.

During the early October window, MAGA Inc. got a significant boost from a former financial backer of Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign. The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations was the last remaining Republican Party challenger during the 2024 presidential primaries.

On Oct. 10, Jan Koum, the creator of WhatsApp, sent about $5.1 million to MAGA Inc.

Koum was one of the most prominent individual supporters of SFA Fund Inc., the hybrid PAC backing Haley’s run for the White House.

According to FEC donor records, Koum is now listed as the sole proprietor of Manzanita Management LLC.

On the same day, Manzanita Management LLC sent MAGA Inc. an in-kind donation of Meta Platforms Inc. stock worth about $5.1 million. Koum’s creation was purchased in 2014 by the company formally known as Facebook Inc.