O’Rourke raises $4.5 million in third quarter

White House hopeful Beto O’Rourke raised $4.5 million in the third quarter of 2019, a higher haul than he had in the second quarter but behind several of his primary competitors. 

O’Rourke’s campaign said the average donation amounted to $26 and that 99 percent of all contributions were below $200 while noting that his campaign did not fundraise around the August shooting in his hometown of El Paso, Texas.

It is unclear how many people gave to the campaign or how much cash on hand he will report to the Federal Election Commission when filings are due later this month.

{mosads}The latest figure was higher than the $3.6 million O’Rourke raised in 2019’s second quarter but well beneath the $9.4 million he hauled in during the year’s first quarter.

“This quarter, we raised $4.5 million—a million more dollars than last quarter—and we did it because of people like you,” he tweeted to supporters. “We did this while not fundraising during the period around the El Paso shooting⁠—because that tragedy wasn’t about our campaign, it was about our community. And we’ve raised over a million dollars this quarter for causes like the El Paso Memorial Fund and down ballot candidates.” 

“Thank you for fueling our campaign—which always has been, and always will be, powered by people. Because of you, I believe we will win the Democratic nomination, defeat President Trump in 2020, and bring our country together in 2021.”

This quarter, we raised $4.5 million—a million more dollars than last quarter—and we did it because of people like you. pic.twitter.com/KMwXV5dSNY

— Beto O’Rourke (@BetoORourke) October 11, 2019

Despite O’Rourke’s confidence, his announcement comes as the former Texas congressman struggles to lift his languishing campaign out of the middle tier of most national and statewide surveys.

Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) raked in $25.3 million, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) brought in $24.6 million and former Vice President Joe Biden raised $15.2 million.

O’Rourke’s total also comes behind the third quarter hauls for other middle-tier candidates, falling behind Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.

O’Rourke first saw his political star rise on a national level last year after his insurgent Senate bid to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) electrified the Democratic base and raked in a record amount of donations. He ultimately lost by less than 3 points, a narrow margin considering the GOP’s strength in the Lone Star State. 

However, he has struggled to convert that enthusiasm into support for his 2020 bid. O’Rourke sought to reset his campaign following the shooting in El Paso to focus more on gun control and travel outside traditional primary states but has not seen a sustained bump in the polls.