Independent Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders raised more than US$4 million dollars from nearly 150,000 people within 12 hours of announcing his candidacy for the 2020 United States Presidential elections.
The number surpassed all other Democrats who have so far announced their candidacies. The amount is more than double the US$1.5 million raised by Senator Kamala Harris in her first 24 hours. The average donation size is US$27.
“The only way we will win this election and create a government and economy that work for all is with a grassroots movement ― the likes of which has never been seen in American history,” Sanders said Tuesday in a message to supporters. “They may have the money and power. We have the people.”
Sanders, 77, announced his candidacy Tuesday in a lengthy early morning email to supporters, pledging to build a vast grassroots movement to confront the special interests that he said dominate government and politics.
“Our campaign is about creating a government and economy that works for the many, not just the few,” Sanders said in the email, asking for 1 million people to sign up to start the effort.
The progressive candidate also tapped Faiz Shakir a progressive lawyer from American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as his campaign manager.
“We are running against a president who is a pathological liar, a fraud, a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe and someone who is undermining American democracy as he leads us in an authoritarian direction,” Sanders said.
“Together, you and I and our 2016 campaign began the political revolution. Now, it is time to complete that revolution and implement the vision that we fought for,” the senator said.
During his first bid as a presidential candidate in 2016, Sanders benefited from a large quantity of small donations which helped him raise more than US$228 million.