Clinton campaign raises $45M since April launch

WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has raised about $45 million since she entered the 2016 race in April, her campaign said on Wednesday.

More than 90 percent of Clinton’s donations were in amounts of $100 or less, a campaign aide said, emphasizing the Democratic front-runner’s broad-based grassroots support. The campaign did not release the total number of donors so far.

Clinton has kept up an intensive national fundraising schedule since she launched her presidential bid in April, holding dozens of fund-raising events, often at the homes of wealthy donors.

But Clinton’s campaign also has focused on building a network of small donors, whose donations are capped at $2,700 for the race’s primary season. It features a “Hillstarter” program that asks top donors to host fundraising events that each bring in at least $27,000 from small donors.

The fundraising figures will be part of the campaign’s report to the Federal Election Commission for the fiscal quarter ending on June 30, which is due on July 15. Clinton said on Twitter her campaign was “still running the numbers” for the final report.

The Clinton haul surpasses the $42 million raised by President Barack Obama in 2011 in the first quarter after he announced his re-election bid, the previous record for the first quarter of a campaign.

Clinton is the first 2016 presidential contender to report even a rough estimate of fundraising numbers, which will be viewed as an early indicator of a candidate’s appeal and staying power in the race.

The former secretary of state, U.S. senator and first lady has a big lead in polls over three Democratic challengers, giving her broad access to the party’s top donors and fundraisers.

Fourteen Republicans are running for their party’s nomination ahead of the November 2016 presidential election.