WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, his presidential money apparatus slowed only slightly, raised more than $31 million in April, outdistancing Republican John McCain, who nevertheless enjoyed his best month yet.
Obama reported having more than $37 million in the bank at the beginning of May, a sizable sum considering that his biggest primary expenses were already behind him. Obama moved closer to the Democratic nomination Tuesday but still faces three primaries against a financially weaker Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The former first lady raised about $22 million, aided by a stunning $10 million haul raised in the two days following her April 22 primary victory in Pennsylvania. It was her second-best fundraising month of the campaign.
McCain raised nearly $18 million in April as his presidential campaign consolidated his fundraising base. He spent only about a third of that, capitalizing on his status as the Republican Party’s presidential nominee-in-waiting.
Continuing the expansion of his fundraising network, Obama’s campaign reported nearly 1.5 million donors. With such extraordinary numbers behind him, Obama appears to have access to a continuing flow of money, though his April total was his smallest haul this year. Overall, he has raised close to $265 million in his White House bid.
McCain filed his financial data with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday. Obama released key figures from his report and was expected to file, along with Clinton, by Tuesday’s midnight deadline.
McCain’s finances are an important marker as he moves into direct competition with Obama, who has shown himself to be a fundraiser without equal. McCain has been taking advantage of his status as the all-but-nominated Republican candidate, embracing the big donors from his vanquished foes and putting allies in charge of raising money at the Republican National Committee.
The RNC, which is the party’s main political arm, had nearly 10 times as much cash on hand as its Democratic counterpart at the end of April, a notable GOP advantage in what has otherwise been Democratic fundraising dominance during this election cycle.
The committee reported Tuesday having $40.1 million in the bank. The Democratic National Committee had $4.4 million.
The RNC raised $15.7 million in April compared with $4.7 million by the DNC.
Significantly, the financial disparity comes in a presidential election year when the candidates rely on the parties to mobilize voters and promote their message. Overall this year, the RNC has raised more than $52 million, the DNC has raised more than $22 million.
The party money will be especially important to McCain if he faces Obama because it would supplement his softer financial position.
McCain has put his own team at the RNC to operate a Victory Fund Committee that is corralling top Republican donors. Earlier this month, McCain and the party raised $7 million at a fundraiser hosted by New York Jets owner Woody Johnson. The proceeds of that event were not included in the RNC’s latest report.
McCain and the RNC are holding a series of upcoming joint events, including one Wednesday in Irvine, Calif., hosted by Meg Whitman, who is stepping down as president and chief executive of eBay. The event is expected to raise more than $2 million. Whitman had been a fundraiser for former McCain rival Mitt Romney.
“Republicans are united behind John McCain and our strong fundraising reflects that,” RNC chairman Robert M. “Mike” Duncan said.
Obama has taken his own quiet steps to take over the DNC and assemble a multistate team for the general election, several Democratic officials said Tuesday. With such a team firmly in place, the DNC would be able to tap into Obama’s fundraising.
