The two campaigns are entering the final stretch of an extremely tight presidential contest. Harris, the U.S. Vice President who launched her campaign in July when President Joe Biden ended his own re-election bid and endorsed her, disclosed to the Federal Election Commission spending of $174 million last month. Former Republican President Trump’s campaign separately reported outlays of $61 million.
While Harris’ financial advantage will help her blanket airwaves with television ads through the election, it might not deliver victory. The two candidates are neck-and-neck in many polls, including in battleground states that could determine the winner. In the 2016 presidential contest, Trump defeated Hillary Clinton despite raising less money than the Democrat.
In August, Harris and Trump each said most of their spending was on ads, with smaller sums paying for rallies, travel and campaign staff salaries. Harris’ campaign also reported making a $75,000 donation to the Detroit Unity Fund, a non-profit that works to increase Black voter turnout in Michigan, a major battleground in this year’s election.
Harris’ entry into the race, just weeks after Biden performed poorly in a debate against Trump, fueled a surge in donations to her campaign, which ended August with $235 million, just over what it had at the beginning of the month.
The Trump campaign drew down on its balance, ending August with $135 million, about $17 million less than at the start of the month. Harris and Trump had previously announced fundraising totals for the month that included the accounts of their political parties. For their official campaign reports to the Federal Election Commission, Harris reported raising $190 million during August and Trump reported taking in $45 million.
