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

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers

3

Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers

3

Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50
LeadershipPolitics

Why Money Isn’t Enough for a Spot in the Democratic Party’s Presidential Debates Anymore

By
Natasha Bach
Natasha Bach
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Natasha Bach
Natasha Bach
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 1, 2019, 1:09 PM ET

He hasn’t officially announced his campaign yet, but South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg has met the criteria to get on stage for the first two Democratic Party presidential debates, to be held in June and July. Buttigieg tweeted Monday that he raised more than $7 million in the first quarter of this year.

And while the March 31 first-quarter fundraising deadline prompted increased calls for money from all of the 2020 candidates, it’s not just quantity of money they’re seeking—it’s the quantity of donors.

In order to appear in the first two debates, the Democratic National Committee has added new criteria: Candidates must either earn 1% support in multiple polls or receive campaign contributions from 65,000 individuals and a minimum of 200 unique donors per state in at least 20 U.S. states. Last May, the Republican National Committee voted to disband its debate committee, suggesting that the party does not have plans to host its own presidential debates.

Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign says he already has more than 760,000 donors, with the aim of reaching 1 million. Beto O’Rourke’s campaign reportedly raised money from 128,000 donors in the first 24 hours after he announced his candidacy, while Sen. Kamala Harris received support from 38,000 donors in the same timeframe.

Buttigieg had already surpassed the individual donor threshold by mid-March, receiving donations from more than 76,000 individuals. On April 1, he became the first candidate to provide his overall fundraising figures publicly.

Despite exceeding expectations, however, Buttigieg’s total donations pale in comparison to those of better-known candidates. Harris announced on April 1 that her campaign had raised $12 million and 218,000 individual contributions in the past two months, without the help of corporate PACs or federal lobbyists, a notable jump on her first-day fundraising total of $1.5 million. Sanders’ campaign, meanwhile, brought in $18.2 million in the first quarter from 525,000 individual donors. He had raised $5.9 million in the first 24 hours after announcing his candidacy, a figure that reached $10 million within the first week.

Former Representative Beto O’Rourke, who pulled in an impressive $6.1 million in the first 24 hours after announcing his campaign, raised $9.4 million in the first couple weeks of his candidacy. Sen. Cory Booker raised over $5 million, according to his campaign. Sen. Amy Klobuchar raised more than $5.2 million, but that reportedly includes an undisclosed sum that could only be used in the general election. And Sen. Elizabeth Warren raised over $6 million.

Andrew Yang, a less-known 2020 presidential candidate running on a platform of universal basic income, reported April 2 that his campaign had raised more than $1.7 million from over 80,000 individual donors. It is unclear whether he has qualified for the debates.

It is possible that we won’t know the fundraising totals of many of the others until they file their fundraising and spending reports with the Federal Election Commission on April 15.

Ultimately, it will still be an uphill battle for whichever candidate emerges the winner of the Democratic primary: President Trump has not stopped fundraising since entering the White House and started this year with $19 million in his campaign account.

 

 

About the Author
By Natasha Bach
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

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
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • 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
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

r
HealthHealth
The quiet $8 billion crisis: long COVID costs keep rising as Washington looks away
By Bruce Y. Lee, Hannah Dimmick and The ConversationMay 24, 2026
6 hours ago
40 is the new 50: Millennial jobseekers are giving their resumes a facelift by hiding years of experience to land jobs
Future of WorkCareers
40 is the new 50: Millennial jobseekers are giving their resumes a facelift by hiding years of experience to land jobs
By Jacqueline MunisMay 24, 2026
9 hours ago
bofa
AIProductivity
BofA says you’ll be 10x more productive with AI. Ignore the 0.1% result so far
By Nick LichtenbergMay 24, 2026
10 hours ago
David Bennahum
CommentaryMedia
I was one of the internet’s first influencers. AI just killed the whole category — and created something better
By David S. BennahumMay 24, 2026
12 hours ago
Marc Perry, Toyota Alabama president and Jack Crowley in the lab with the students.
AIJobs
As AI wipes out white-collar jobs, one Alabama high school and Toyota are training students for roles that pay $40 an hour and can’t be automated
By Jake AngeloMay 24, 2026
13 hours ago
gf
SuccessEntrepreneurship
Meet the 32-year-old who is America’s only full-time spelling bee coach — he charges up to $180 per hour
By Ben Nuckols and The Associated PressMay 23, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
3 days ago
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
Success
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
By Emma BurleighMay 22, 2026
2 days ago
Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50
Success
Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50
By Preston ForeMay 22, 2026
2 days ago
Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive
Lifestyle
Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive
By Sasha RogelbergMay 24, 2026
9 hours ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
5 days ago
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
AI
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
By Jake AngeloMay 22, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 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.