Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) said she needs to raise $1 million by the end of the year for her presidential campaign to remain competitive.
“We need to raise $1M by December 31st in order to stay competitive and continue our momentum. Let’s put our grassroots msg front and center in the most competitive early state media markets,” she tweeted Monday evening.
Gabbard has consistently polled in the lower or middle tiers in national and early state surveys, but pressure on her campaign was ramped up after she narrowly failed to qualify for Thursday’s primary debate, which she said she would have skipped regardless.
The Gabbard campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill regarding how much she’s raised since making the plea. A graphic accompanying the request showed the Hawaii Democrat has already raised more than $480,000 of the $1 million.
The tweet asking for donations comes as a top tier of former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg solidifies in the first four nominating states, leaving other candidates hoping for a finish somewhere in the top five.
Other candidates such as Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro have also tried similar gambits to Gabbard, with both raising the funds necessary by their self-imposed deadlines.
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), who has polled near the bottom of most national and early state surveys, also announced Tuesday that his presidential campaign has to raise $700,000 by Jan. 16 to remain competitive in the crucial primary state of New Hampshire.
“Now is our moment. We have planted our flag in New Hampshire, but we need your help right now to have the resources to compete there,” Daniel Barash, Bennet’s campaign manager, said in a memo to supporters.