With his first full quarter of fundraising under his belt, former Vice President Joe Biden has solidified his financial hold on his home state.
Delawareans donated just under $400,000 to the presidential candidates in the third quarter, compared with $453,000 in the second quarter, an 11% decrease.
Biden raked in $232,785 from Delaware contributors, more than triple the amount of President Donald Trump during the third quarter, which runs July 1 through Sept. 30. Biden also raised more than 10 times the amount of his closest Democratic competitors, as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, with $21,734; South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg with $20,073; and Sen. Bernie Sanders with $14,142, were the only three candidates to crack five-digit sums from Delaware.
Biden pulled in the single largest amounts in New Castle and Sussex counties with $140,174 and $88,212, respectively. Trump pulled in the most from Kent County at $8,705. In general, New Castle County generated $241,125, outraising its surrounding counties; Sussex County raised $140,653, and Kent County only $17,771.
For the moment, Delaware contributions don't match the national numbers. Nationally, Trump is the only serious Republican candidate with $125 million, and Sanders leads the pack in national fundraising among Democrats with $25.3 million. Closely behind him is Warren with $24.6 million. Buttigieg and Biden reported $19.1 million and $15.7 million, respectively.
Delaware's third quarter fundraising numbers are beginning to mirror national trends. The notorious "summer slump" of Q3 has affected Buttigieg and Biden, who each raised less in Delaware than they did in the second quarter of 2019, while Warren and Sanders seemed to have thrived. In fact, Warren roughly doubled her donations from the second quarter in Delaware.
Here is a detailed breakdown of the presidential candidates' financial numbers in Delaware "“ including how the candidates are shaping up in individual counties. The statewide data was released Nov. 6, so you'll find more information on our website over the next few weeks.
By Abby Osborne
Contributing writer
