Obama Outraises Romney in August

BOSTON – For the first time since April, Chicago has outraised Boston, with the Obama campaign and the DNC pulling in more than $114 million in the month of August, while Romney and his supporting Republican committees raised $111.6 million.

Obama’s haul marks the first time the President and DNC—which set records for prolific fundraising in 2008—have topped the $100 million mark this election cycle.  Romney has hit the figure in each of the last three months. 

Obama campaign manager Jim Messina celebrated the victory in a statement emailed to reporters at 12:23 a.m., just 23 minutes after news of Romney’s August totals were reported.

"The key to fighting back against the special interests writing limitless checks to support Mitt Romney is growing our donor base, and we did substantially in the month of August,” Messina said.   

The release directed reporters to the @BarackObama twitter handle, which was soon sending out additional factoids: more than $1.1 million donated to the President’s campaign; 317,954 donors were giving to Obama for the first time; 97.77 percent of the donations were $250 or less; the average donation was $58.31.

Romney’s August totals were also his largest monthly fundraising haul to date, boosted, in part, with the naming of Paul Ryan to the ticket. On August 12, one day after the official announcement of the Wisconsin congressman as Romney's running mate, Romney press secretary Andrea Saul said the campaign raised $5 million.

“Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are offering bold solutions to our country’s problems – that is why we are seeing such tremendous support from donors across the country,” Romney Victory National Finance Chairman Spencer Zwick and RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in a joint statement.

According to a campaign news release announcing Romney’s August total, $34.6 million – about 31 percent – was raised through donations of less than $250. Romney has typically lagged behind Obama in small-dollar donations, but has made up the difference from donors giving the maximum amount that is allowed.

Romney’s campaign, the Republican National Committee and state party participants also announced they have about $168.5 million cash on hand – a sizeable amount for the remaining two months of the race.  So far, the Obama campaign has not released how much money the President has available.