Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has fallen short of fundraising expectations, raising just over $17 million, reports CNBC . The Massachusetts senator had previously brought in $24.6 million in the third quarter of the year, meaning her recent sum comes as a 30 percent decrease from her previous efforts. The lackluster efforts have some political analysts forecasting further trouble for her campaign.
The drop in fundraising comes as Warren has been falling in the polls. The former Harvard Law professor was once the top choice for early voting states Iowa and New Hampshire, even overtaking former Vice President Joe Biden as the frontrunner in September.
However, Warren has since suffered a substantial drop in polling, and now only has around half the support of Biden in the national polls. In addition, she is currently placing third and fourth in Iowa and New Hampshire, where Buttigieg and Sanders are respectively on top.
As a result of the low fundraising totals, the Warren campaign sent out an email in the hope that their supporters would be inspired to help increase the numbers before the end of the year when the fourth quarter ends.
The move is a politically unusual one, as most campaigns announce after mandatory FEC deadlines. The team acknowledged that the decision to release that they had fallen below expectations was “risky.”
“In this email, we’re going to do something different — something a little risky,” the email began.
“Traditionally, campaigns wait until after the mandatory FEC reporting deadlines to announce how much they’ve raised. But this isn’t a traditional campaign. We’re a grassroots team, and you should know exactly where things stand right now — and why it’s important that you give,” it continued.
“So far this quarter, we’ve raised a little over $17 million. That’s a good chunk behind where we were at this time last quarter.”
“Elizabeth Warren needs your help. Right now,” the email added in the concluding sentences.
A spokesperson for the Warren campaign declined to comment on either the email or the disappointing fundraising totals.
Political analysts will no doubt be eager to see the fundraising totals for Warren’s rivals — particularly Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg — to see if Warren voters had switched allegiances in the recent months.
The lackluster fundraising also comes after Warren had bashed big donors in the recent Democratic debate. The senator particularly targeted South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg for an event in Napa Valley where wine bottles cost as much as $900 each.
However, as previously reported by The Inquisitr , Warren recently received heat after it was uncovered that she had hosted her own expensive fundraisers at locations such as The City Winery in Boston.
