• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechBernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders Becomes Silicon Valley Favorite

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 10, 2016, 10:55 AM ET
bernie sanders
bernie sandersPhotograph by Jewel Samad—AFP/Getty Images

Bernie Sanders won New Hampshire, and he’s also winning in Silicon Valley.

During the last quarter of 2015, Bernie raised approximately $105,000 from employees working at the five largest technology companies in Silicon Valley, The Wall Street Journal is reporting, citing data obtained from the Federal Election Commission. Clinton pulled in about $95,000 from workers at the same companies.

It was the first time Sanders outdrew Hillary Clinton in Silicon Valley donations, dealing yet another blow to the Democratic presidential candidate, who lost to Sanders on Tuesday in the New Hampshire primary.

True to Sanders’ own claims that the vast majority of his donations come from small donors who support his message, the Journal‘s evaluation of the campaign filings found that most donors gave far less than the maximum campaign contribution amount of $2,700.

Sanders, who is vying for the Democratic candidacy for the 2016 election, was even a favorite among some of the technology industry’s biggest companies. Indeed, the Center for Responsive Politics, which evaluates campaign donations and furnished some data to the Journal, found that companies like Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG) were among his biggest corporate donors, each doling out thousands of dollars to his campaign.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

That Silicon Valley is starting to take Sanders more seriously could prove even more troublesome to the Clinton campaign, which has relied heavily upon technology companies to boost her fundraising. According to data compiled from the Center for Responsive Politics, Clinton has so far raised more than $1.1 million from employees working in the “Computers/Internet” industry. Sanders has raised more than $268,000.

Republicans, meanwhile, have proven far less popular among Silicon Valley employees. Republican candidate Jeb Bush leads among tech employees with about $236,000 in employee donations. In total, Silicon Valley employees have donated over $2.4 million to 2016 presidential campaigns. Over 61% of those donations have gone to Democrats.

The victory in Silicon Valley for Sanders comes just days after he revealed that he raised $20 million in just one month on a large amount of small donations. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, raised about $15 million during the same period.

For more on Sanders’ win in New Hampshire, watch:

What’s unclear, however, is how long Sanders can maintain his momentum. Despite winning the New Hampshire primary in convincing fashion and narrowly losing to Clinton in the Iowa caucuses, Sanders doesn’t have the support of heavily funded Super PACs, relying solely upon donations from companies and individuals to run his campaign. And in the high-stakes world of presidential politics, money is often critical to victory.

Sanders isn’t showing much promise in the upcoming primaries. According to Real Clear Politics, which keeps tabs on all of the latest presidential polls, he’s behind Clinton by an average of 29.5% in the next primary in South Carolina. In Florida, which is set to vote next month, he’s even further behind, at 39%. National polls show Sanders likely losing the Democratic nomination to Clinton by 13.3%.

Still, questions remain over whether his huge win last night in New Hampshire, where he secured 60% of the votes, will give him some much-needed momentum heading into the upcoming states.

Until then, it appears that at least Silicon Valley has his back.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

Latest in Tech

PoliticsDefense
Founder of $30 billion defense tech company Anduril embraces Trump’s threat to crack down: It’s ‘good to scare people sometimes’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJanuary 8, 2026
21 hours ago
Jassy
Workplace CultureAmazon
Amazon demands proof of productivity from employees, asking for list of accomplishments
By Jake AngeloJanuary 8, 2026
24 hours ago
kappos
CommentaryEconomics
The Nobel Prize winners have a lesson for us all
By David J. KapposJanuary 8, 2026
1 day ago
Dario Amodei sits in a white chair in front of a pink background and speaks animatedly.
AIEye on AI
AI is boosting productivity. Here’s why some workers feel a sense of loss
By Sharon GoldmanJanuary 8, 2026
1 day ago
Mark DesJardine
CommentaryM&A
Warner Bros. Discovery’s board isn’t choosing a deal — it’s avoiding one
By Mark DesJardineJanuary 8, 2026
1 day ago
Illustration of a human and robot hand holding a pharmacy and an AI symbol, respectively.
AImedicine
As Utah gives the AI power to prescribe some drugs, physicians warn of patient risks
By Beatrice NolanJanuary 8, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
Diary of a CEO founder says he hired someone with 'zero' work experience because she 'thanked the security guard by name' before the interview
By Emma BurleighJanuary 8, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Law
Amazon is cutting checks to millions of customers as part of a $2.5 billion FTC settlement. Here's who qualifies and how to get paid
By Sydney LakeJanuary 6, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Workplace Culture
Amazon demands proof of productivity from employees, asking for list of accomplishments
By Jake AngeloJanuary 8, 2026
24 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
Google billionaire Larry Page copies the Jeff Bezos playbook, buying a $173 million Miami compound that will save him millions in taxes
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 8, 2026
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
AI layoffs are looking more and more like corporate fiction that's masking a darker reality, Oxford Economics suggests
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 7, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Crypto
Russia and Iran are increasingly turning to crypto—especially stablecoins—to avoid sanctions, report finds
By Carlos GarciaJanuary 8, 2026
1 day ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.