Democrats have deluged their candidates’ campaigns and causes with cash in record amounts since the Friday death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, donating tens of millions of dollars in less than 24 hours.
ActBlue, a key fundraising platform for the left, had taken in more than $53 million by 1:30 p.m. on Saturday since the news broke late Friday. Using ActBlue, donors earmark money for Democratic candidates and causes they want to support.
In August, ActBlue brought in about $15.7 million per day, a fraction of what has been raised since Ginsburg’s death, for a total of $485.4 million.
It won’t be clear who precisely the money is going to until it reports to the Federal Election Commission on Oct. 20
The site processes grassroots donations for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign against President Donald Trump, as well as for Senate candidates and key liberal groups.
While the Biden campaign refrained from including a fundraising link in an email sent to supporters on Friday night, one was included in a Saturday morning message signed by vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
A person who raises money for the Democratic National Committee who asked not to be identified because he doesn’t speak for the party, said the coming fight over Ginsburg’s seat will boost donations to both sides. He now believes that Biden and the DNC will exceed the record $364.5 million raised in August, something he didn’t think would happen before.
The name of Kentucky Senate candidate Amy McGrath, the Democratic challenger to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, was trending on Twitter on Saturday as users debated whether it was worthwhile to give to her or to give to other Democratic Senate hopefuls who have a better chance at flipping a GOP seat.
GOP fundraiser Dan Eberhart said Ginsburg’s death will energize Republican donors, too.
“This is going to reactivate a considerable swath of donors that were either done giving this cycle or weren’t going to give,” Eberhart said.
———
©2020 Bloomberg News
Visit Bloomberg News at www.bloomberg.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.