2020 Daily Trail Markers: Candidates reveal fundraising totals ahead of FEC deadline
FROM THE CANDIDATES
SEN. CORY BOOKER: Booker released a policy proposal Monday morning aimed at expanding access to long-term health care, reports CBS News campaign reporter Jack Turman. Booker plans to expand access for low-income and middle-income seniors and people with disabilities by increasing the asset limit for long-term services to $200,000. The plan also includes an increase to the income limit to 300% of the federal poverty line.
"Health care is a human right, and long-term services and supports are an important part of that," Booker said in a statement. "In one of the richest nations in the world, no person should ever go broke or have to quit their job to afford long-term care or to take care of a loved one."
Booker also proposes that employees in long-term services be paid at least $15 dollars per hour and have access to health care and retirement benefits. To ensure the economic security of these employees, the plan indicates Booker would increase Medicaid funding, while also directing the Department of Health and Human Services to improve planning to ensure fair wages and health care benefits. Booker previously proposed expanding the earned income tax credit and under his expansion, some family caregivers would be eligible up to a $4,000 credit.
MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG: After a massive cash haul in the second quarter of 2019, the South Bend, Indiana, mayor is not slowing down on fundraising, and he's getting help from some Hollywood heavyweights, says CBS News Political Unit associate producer Sarah Ewall-Wice. According to the invitation, Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Chelsea Handler, Sean Hayes and Jason Bateman are among the co-hosts listed for a fundraiser on July 25. Fellow co-host and West Hollywood Mayor John D'Amico told CBS News he expects there could easily be between 150 to 200 people in attendance, saying, "Pete is really well liked in the community, and people want very much for his profile to continue to rise." Tickets for the event range in price from $250 to $2,800, for which attendees can get a picture with Mayor Pete. Buttigieg outraised all of his fellow Democratic presidential candidates in the second quarter, raking in $24.8 million from April through June.
GOV. JAY INSLEE: In Iowa today, Inslee unveiled his plan for working families. CBS News campaign reporters Zak Hudak and Tim Perry say the plan calls for a national paid family and medical leave program with 12 weeks of leave coverage a year. Inslee's plan also calls for free child care for low and middle income families. It also addresses the needs of senior citizens, calling for publicly funded long-term care benefits so old citizens can stay in their home and receive long-term care while lowering costs on family members. At an event in Clive, Iowa, Inslee called on changing national priorities to favor working families.
BETO O'ROURKE: The former congressman's campaign announced that by the end of the week it will have 11 field offices open across Iowa. This also comes as more than 20 local activists announced their endorsement for O'Rourke, according to CBS News campaign reporters Musadiq Bidar, Adam Brewster and Perry. The campaign's Iowa state director Norm Sterzenbach said in a statement: "We're growing our movement throughout the summer, so that every Iowan, regardless if they have caucused or not and regardless of whether they are Democrat, Republican, or wants to put country over party, knows they're in the right place with Team Beto."
STATELY COVERAGE
OUT WEST: Fresh off a $12 million fundraising haul last quarter, Sen. Kamala Harris' campaign manager Juan Rodriguez will join some of the California Democrat's top brass in Las Vegas this week for a "grand opening" of their Nevada office. CBS News campaign reporter Alex Tin says look to see other campaigns open up offices of their own across the Silver State, as candidates catch up to Sen. Bernie Sanders' campaign's aggressive physical footprint in Nevada. The Vermont independent drew crowds earlier this month to inaugurate his East Las Vegas office. The campaign says it already has four total offices in the state, with more to come in "the next couple weeks."
MONEY MATTERS
ON THE $$$: Presidential candidates have a midnight deadline to file their second quarter fundraising totals with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Ewall-Wice reports that several have already filed. According to Inslee's team, his campaign raised over $3 million between April 1 and June 30 from nearly 100,000 donations, with an average donation just below $32. His campaign says the five days following the first presidential debate in June were his best fundraising days in the quarter, including 12% of all donations and donors that quarter.
Meanwhile, former HUD secretary Julián Castro announced Monday his campaign raised $2.8 million in the second quarter and finished the fundraising period with more than $1.1 million cash on hand. That's up from the $1.3 million his campaign raised during the first quarter of the year.
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper's campaign also filed its second quarter numbers with the FEC. According to the report, his campaign raised more than $1.1 million in the second quarter of the year, down from the more than $2 million he raised in the first quarter of the year. His campaign currently has just over $830,000 cash on hand.
And former Rep. John Delaney's campaign ended the quarter with more than $7.4 million cash on hand after raising $8 million in the second quarter of the year. That includes a $7.75 million loan guaranteed by Delaney.
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand raised nearly $2.3 million in the second quarter and ended the period with more than $8.2 million cash on hand. According to her campaign, 95% of contributions were under $50 and the average donation was $15. Of Gillibrand's online donors, her campaign has identified 65% as women. They also say they're on track to hit the 130,000 donor threshold to qualify for the September debates.
SENATE CASH: Senate incumbents and candidates have until midnight to file their quarter two fundraising with the Federal Election Commission, but already, there are significant numbers in two battleground states, according to CBS News Political Unit associate producer Ellee Watson. In the Arizona Senate race, incumbent Republican Sen. Martha McSally raised $3.4 million, and her DSCC-endorsed opponent, former astronaut Mark Kelly, raised $4.2 million. And incumbent North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis raised $1.9 million, higher than his primary challenger who raised about raked in about $350,000 in contributions. Both Tillis and McSally have received "complete and total endorsements" from President Trump on Twitter.
HOUSE DOLLARS: Looking to hone in on recent internal conflicts amongst House Democrats, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has launched its "Socialist Showdown" website to encourage socialist challengers to current Democratic incumbents. The home page showcases progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders alongside Fidel Castro and Vladimir Lenin, and has a list of 2020 Democratic primary challengers with links to their respective donation pages.
The DCCC raised $29.2 million this quarter and its focus on "Frontline" freshmen members seems to be paying off, as a DCCC source told CBS News Political Unit broadcast associate Aaron Navarro that a majority of these members raised over $500,000 in Q2. The NRCC hasn't yet uploaded its whole Q2 filing, but its numbers for April and May show that it at least raised around $10 million in two months.
