De Blasio Among Weakest Fundraisers In 2020 Field

NEW YORK — The money follows the polls. Mayor Bill de Blasio's presidential campaign took six weeks to raise about as much cash as the top 2020 fundraiser got in a few hours, putting him way behind in the money race.

De Blasio raked in $1,087,564 from his May 16 entry into the crowded field through June 30, his campaign disclosed Monday. That tied for the fourth-smallest haul among the 22 Democratic White House hopefuls who reported second-quarter fundraising numbers, according to news reports.

For comparison, South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg raised more than $1 million in the four hours after he formally launched his campaign in April, his campaign spokesperson said at the time. Buttigieg was the Democratic field's top earner in the second three months of the year, raking in nearly $25 million.

De Blasio raised the majority of his second-quarter haul following his Democratic debate appearance. His campaign says he received more than $630,000 in four days after the June 26 face-off.

But Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton reportedly raised more than $1.2 million in the second quarter despite not qualifying for the first round of debates. Moulton launched his campaign about a month before de Blasio.

Some 92 percent of de Blasio's donations were worth $50 or less, the campaign said. De Blasio 2020 also spent about $359,000 in the operation's early stages, a slow "burn rate" that will keep it sustainable, the campaign argues.

"We’re grateful to every supporter who chipped in because they share Mayor de Blasio’s message of putting working people first and we’re going to continue spreading that message to voters across the country," senior de Blasio campaign adviser Jon Paul Lupo said in a statement.

De Blasio has also languished in the bottom tier of candidates in recent polling. Zero percent of voters favored him in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll published Sunday, while a Monday Hill-HarrisX survey showed him with 1 percent support.

De Blasio's campaign has hired several new staffers, including four dedicated to South Carolina and one for Iowa, both early primary states. Among them are Jaclyn Rothenberg and Will Baskin-Gerwitz, who have worked in City Hall.

"These hires are a direct result of the fundraising success we’ve had in just a few short weeks, and our growth is a sign of what’s to come moving forward," Lupo said in his statement.