Harris sees largest 24-hour fundraising haul since entering race: report

Matthew Chapman
September 12, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a moderated conversation with former Trump administration national security official Olivia Troye and former Republican voter Amanda Stratton on July 17, 2024 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Harris is the new Democratic presidential nominee, according to FEC filings. (Photo by Chris duMond/Getty Images)


Vice President Kamala Harris raised a staggering $47 million — just in the 24 hours after the debate in Philadelphia, reported The New York Times on Thursday.

The new haul, according to the report, included donations from 600,000 people. The Times noted the number amounts to Harris' largest 24-hour fund-raising period since she entered the race in July — and raised $81 million on her first day.

"Ms. Harris already had a significant financial edge over Mr. Trump entering September," the Times said. "Her operation said it had $404 million cash on hand, while Mr. Trump had $295 million."

This comes after Harris already broke records in fundraising on several previous occassions, raising $204 million just in August.

This particular 24-hour haul is the second largest such campaign fundraising 24-hour period this cycle; former President Donald Trump raised $53 million in the 24 hours after he was convicted of felony falsification of business records in New York, which does not include the $50 million given to a pro-Trump super PAC in that period by billionaire megadonor Timothy Mellon.

Tuesday's debate comes after Trump and President Joe Biden faced off in Atlanta in June. It was widely considered a disaster for Trump, who struggled to answer questions, grew visibly agitated as Harris attacked his record, and had to be repeatedly corrected by moderators as he promoted false claims, including a viral hoax that migrants are eating people's pets in Springfield, Ohio.

While Harris enjoys a fundraising advantage, her campaign is wary of the risk that widespread coverage of successful cash hauls could result in some small-dollar donors growing complacent and withholding money, and they are also aware that they need to play in more states than Trump does.

“Trump is all in on one to two ‘must win’ states. We don’t have that luxury,” campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon told The Times.