Who's writing the presidential campaign checks?

In the United States, donations to candidates are considered a form of free speech—so when you look at fundraising numbers, you get an idea of who candidates are listening to.

At Citizens Count we break down campaign finance sources into a few broad categories to help you understand who is writing the checks for each candidate.

Which candidate has invested the most of their own money (loans or donations)?

Tom Steyer
$202,496,602 (98% of his campaign’s receipts)

Runner-up: Michael Bloomberg
$200,14,049 (100% of his campaign’s receipts)

These candidates are footing the bill for their own campaigns. On one hand, this means Steyer and Bloomberg are not indebted to political parties, industries, unions, or any other powerful groups. On the other hand, self-funded candidates are also free to follow any political whim they fancy. It’s much more difficult to track their influencers.

Who has raised the most money from PACs (political action committees)?

Joe Biden
$101,305 (0% of his campaign’s receipts)

Runner-up: Donald Trump
$68,859 (0% of his campaign’s receipts)

In previous elections, PACs have been cast as secret organizations with dark influences. Candidates are still urged to reject donations from PACs. After the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United, PACs are allowed to spend as much money as they want on election-related advertising, so long as they do so without communicating or coordinating with the candidate’s official campaign. As a result, PACs aren’t really in the picture of candidate fundraising this year. They’re fundraising and spending independently.

Who has raised the most money from individual donations?

Bernie Sanders
$95,886,996 (88% of his campaign’s receipts)

Runner-up: Donald Trump
$78,306,499 (37% of his campaign’s receipts)

True to their populist campaign messages, both Sen. Sanders and Pres. Trump have raised the most money from individuals—not PACs, parties, or self-financing.

(If you’re wondering about the other 63% of Trump’s receipts, it consists mostly of transfers from the old campaign fund started during his first presidential campaign.)

Who has raised the most money from LARGE individual donations (over $200)?

Pete Buttigieg
$42,237,328 (55% of his campaign’s receipts)

Runner-up: Joe Biden
$38,703,756 (63% of his campaign’s receipts)

The Federal Election Commission requires candidates to provide more detail about donations over $200, so it’s possible to separate a candidate’s big donors and little donors. It looks like Mayor Buttigieg and former Vice President Biden both have access to voters with deeper pockets.

Who has raised the most money from SMALL individual donations (under $200)?

Bernie Sanders
$60,633,482 (56% of his campaign’s receipts)

Runner-up: Elizabeth Warren
$43,265,498 (53% of her campaign’s receipts)

Sen. Sanders and Sen. Warren win the race for “average Joe” donations. This matches up with their appeals to blue-collar workers.

Where we got our numbers

All of this data is according to the year-end campaign finance report for 2020 presidential candidates as posted on the Federal Election Commission website.

You can find basic campaign finance data for all the presidential candidates on the Citizens Count website. Click through to a candidate’s profile page to see their funding sources by category.

For a deeper dive on campaign finance, you can go to the Federal Election Commission or the Center for Responsive Politics.