Booker raises $4.5 million in Q2

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker’s presidential campaign announced it raised $4.5 million in the second quarter of 2019.

The campaign intends to report $5.4 million on hand.

“In February, we set out to build a grassroots campaign fueled by small donations. We’re proud of the tremendous progress we’ve made towards that goal and are happy that we have the resources we need to continue investing in our growing organizing effort,” Booker campaign manager Addisu Demissie said. “Presidential primaries are won on the ground, in the early states. And we’re in a position to be successful.”

Booker has yet to reach the 130,000-donor threshold needed to qualify for the third and fourth presidential primaries.

The campaign said the campaign had roughly 72,000 new donors in the second quarter, twice as many as the campaign had at the end of March.

The campaign said 88% of the quarter’s donors were giving to Booker for the first time.

The average online donation was $15.22, though Booker has raised from high-money donors as well.

In June, a $2,800-per-head fundraiser hosted by South Jersey powerbroker George Norcross and Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo added about $470,000 to his war chest.