Tracking the 2016 Presidential Money Race
On July 20, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump—and the super-PACs that back them—reported to the Federal Election Commission how much money they raised and spent through June. Here are the latest totals in the never-ending campaign for cash.
Campaign Raised to Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $264.4M
Spent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $220.0M
Cash on Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $44.4M
Super-PACs Raised to Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $121.7M
Spent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $81.4M
Cash on Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.5M
Total Raised . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$386.1M
Total Spent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $301.4M
Total Cash on Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $85.9M
Campaign Raised to Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$89.0M
Spent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $68.8M
Cash on Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20.2M
Super-PACs Raised to Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5.2M
Spent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4.2M
Cash on Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2.3M
Total Raised to Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $94.2M
Total Spent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $73.0M
Total Cash on Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22.5M
Clinton vs. Trump, Dollar-by-Dollar
Clinton raised more in June 2016, the month she clinched the nomination, than in any other month so far. So did Trump, who after largely self-funding his campaign only began actively soliciting donations at the end of May. While Clinton continued to outpace her Republican rival, Trump pulled in more than double what Clinton raised from small-dollar donors, whose support is often taken as a gauge of grassroots enthusiasm.
Clinton outraised and outspent Trump in June, while she was still battling Bernie Sanders in late primaries.
In June, Trump forgave the $47.5 million in loans he made to his campaign during the primaries. Altogether, he’s put $50 million of his own money into the race.
Trump Total Receipts*
Unitemized (< $200)
Loans, Transfers, Other
Clinton Total Receipts*
Unitemized (< $200)
Loans, Transfers, Other
Where the Money Came From
Clinton
Trump
Clinton and Trump
Clinton, a graduate of Yale Law School, draws heavily from attorneys while businessmen are the biggest backers of Trump.
Clinton's donors include technology, higher education and finance firms while Trump's include luxury brand marketers and an auto dealer who sells Ferraris and Maseratis.
Party Money
The Republican National Committee has raised $60 million more than its Democratic counterpart. Thus far, Trump, who touted his independence from big money during the primary season, has relied heavily on the RNC as a vehicle for larger donations. Clinton and Trump have formed joint fundraising committees to collect money for their respective parties in chunks of $334,000 or more.
Outside Money
Contributions to presidential campaigns are capped at $2,700, but super-PACs can raise money in unlimited amounts. While Trump disavowed super-PACs during the primaries, pro-Clinton groups continued to pile up cash from wealthy patrons: 37 donors have given $1 million or more to groups supporting her. Several super-PACs competed for Trump supporters, but the candidate hadn’t signaled support for any of them. That left would-be donors uncertain about where to put their money.
Top Individual Donors to Clinton and Trump
Wealthy donors began contributing to the super-PACs backing Clinton before she declared her candidacy. Trump too is now accepting super-PAC help in the general election.
Includes donations to campaign committees, joint fundraising committees and allied super-PACs.
Spending Breakdown
It was an expensive primary season, but now that the general election is officially underway, the money is expected to flow even faster. Clinton, who began spending substantially early last year, already has campaign infrastructure and staff in place in key states, and a super-PAC backing her has booked more than $100 million worth of television ads before the November vote. Trump has spent far less.
Candidates have to build infrastructure and get their message out while building a stockpile of money for the fall. Spending too fast can leave a campaign short of money when it matters most while spending too slowly can lead to a weak ground game on election day.
Total burn rate
Total burn rate
Trump spent less than any other top tier candidates in the 2016 campaign.
Spending increased rapidly as the primary season began, but the Clinton campaign maintained a steady cash balance.
Spending Breakdown for the Trump Campaign
* Categories are approximate; Does not account for refunds
Spending Breakdown for the Clinton Campaign
* Categories are approximate; Does not account for refunds