Presidential candidates revealed Thursday how much they’ve raised and spent during the third quarter, giving Americans a peek into how money is driving the race. The financial records offer a closer look at the direction of the 2016 campaign. Here are five surprising takeaways:
1. Hats for everyone: Republican front-runner Donald Trump spent half a million dollars on paraphernalia, including his iconic “Make America Great Again” hats, as well as T-shirts. That sum represents 12% of the money his team has spent so far. The billionaire real estate mogul, who has said he’s willing to pour up to $100 million into his own campaign, still managed to raise $3.9 million from approximately 75,000 donations.
RELATED: Clinton bests Bush, Rubio and Carson combined with financial haul
2. Bush’s mediocre haul: The former Florida governor raked in $13.4 million. While that’s more than many of the other candidates, it’s still a stark contrast from last quarter. For comparison, he netted $11.4 million in his first 16 days after announcing his 2016 bid. Bush’s burn rate has drawn attention, too: He spent 86% of what his campaign raised this quarter — $11.5 million — and has just $10.3 million cash on hand. That’s less than Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida’s $11 million, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson’s $11.5 million and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas’ $13.5 million. Bush’s campaign is now reportedly cutting back on spending.
3. Why Walker dropped out: Just before Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker pulled the plug on his campaign, he had very little money — $985,213 — in the bank. While he was able to raise $7.3 million in the third quarter, his team flew through $6.3 million during that same period.
4. A big win for this D.C. outsider: Carson, who has seen a surge in the polls, was the top Republican fundraiser this quarter, bringing in $20 million. That’s nearly double the $10.6 million he brought in during the previous three months.
5. But a bigger win for Clinton: Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has more money in the bank — $33 million — than Bush, Rubio, and Carson combined. Her campaign raised more than $28 million in the past three months alone. Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont also brought in an impressive $26 million.
