Biden behind Buttigieg in money raised

WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Joe Biden has raised $21.5 million since launching his White House bid in late April, his campaign said Wednesday. While Biden’s haul will put him in the top tier of Democratic fundraisers, he lags behind Pete Buttigieg, a 37-year-old mayor who was virtually unknown a few months ago.

Buttigieg’s campaign announced earlier in the week that he posted an eye-popping $24.8 million second-quarter haul — a stunning sum for any candidate, let alone one who is so new to the national political stage.

Biden’s fundraising numbers underscore that he is a fragile front-runner. He sits atop most early polls and will have the money he needs to compete aggressively throughout the primary. But his standing as the party’s elder statesman hasn’t scared off his rivals, and it’s clear voters are still open to other options.

Some Democratic strategists anticipated a larger fundraising number from Biden, given the connections he forged during his years as vice president and as a long-serving U.S. senator. The fact that he lagged behind expectations — and Buttigieg — will likely deepen Democratic worries that the party could be in for a prolonged primary fight at a time when President Donald Trump is making his case to voters and his reelection effort posted a massive $105 million second-quarter haul.

Still, the former vice president’s supporters say they aren’t worried.

“When you are the far and away front-runner, everybody is shooting at you,” said Steve Westly, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist who is raising money for Biden. “One thing you have to keep in mind is this campaign is a marathon.”

In addition to Biden and Buttigieg, who is the mayor of South Bend, Ind., Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont also reported a large figure, pulling in $18 million. Yet to be seen are highly anticipated figures from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and California Sen. Kamala Harris, who saw a fundraising surge after her breakout performance during last week’s Democratic debates.

Sanders led Democrats in fundraising during the first quarter of the year. Faiz Shakir, his campaign manager, attributed his current position further back in the pack to his rejection of high-dollar fundraisers, which Buttigieg and Biden have embraced. Instead, Sanders’ campaign is fueled by small-dollar online donations from a working-class base, he said.

“It is the kind of support that we would take any day of the week over cushy, closed-door, high-dollar fundraisers in New York City, in which people eat Parmesan-encrusted salmon on a toothpick,” Shakir said.

When it comes to fundraisers, Biden opens his big-dollar events to members of the media; Buttigieg does not.