Kamala Harris' election drive raises over $600m in a month, sources say

CHICAGO - US Vice-President Kamala Harris' election effort has raised around US$500 million (S$650 million) since she became the Democratic presidential candidate, sources told Reuters, an unprecedented money haul that reflects donor enthusiasm going into the Nov 5 election.

Four sources familiar with the fundraising effort told Reuters that figure had been banked for Ms Harris in the four weeks since she jumped into the race on July 21.

Campaign cash is critical for advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts that help bring people to the polls and persuade undecided voters to swing a candidate's way.

Ms Harris entered the fray after

President Joe Biden stepped aside

from the top of the Democratic ticket, unleashing floods of funding that had dried up in the weeks after Mr Biden's

disastrous debate against Republican Donald Trump.

Ms Harris raised US$200 million in the first week of her campaign, while she quickly wrapped up support to become the party's nominee.

Ms Harris' team raised US$310 million in July, bringing the total amount of money raised by her and Biden before he dropped out to more than US$1 billion, the most rapid crossing of that fund-raising threshold in history, according to the campaign.

Trump's campaign said it raised US$138.7 million in July and had cash on hand of US$327 million.

The former president's campaign outraised Mr Biden in the second quarter.

Enthusiasm for Ms Harris, whose July cash on hand came in at US$377 million, has continued into August, manifested by donations from small-dollar donors as thousands of people show up to her rallies in political swing states across the country.

Mr Biden's campaign committee raised US$1.04 billion in the 2020 election cycle or US$1.62 billion when combined with outside groups, according to OpenSecrets, a group that tracks money in politics.

Ms Harris lauded Mr Biden on Aug 19 on

the first night of the Democratic National Convention

in Chicago, where the president, in his own remarks, touted his record and urged voters to back Ms Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, in November.

Former president Barack Obama, who is also a big fund-raising draw, addresses the convention on the night of Aug 20, while Ms Harris rallies voters in nearby Wisconsin.

Mr Obama attended two high-profile fund-raisers with Mr Biden and has offered to help Ms Harris with more.

Ms Harris has repeatedly called herself an underdog in the race against Trump, in the hopes of preventing complacency among her voting and donor base. REUTERS