Klobuchar raises more than $1M in online donations since debate

Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s (D-Minn.) White House campaign has raised more than $1 million in online donations since Thursday night’s primary debate.

The campaign made the announcement late Friday night, updating the total of $800,000 it had put out earlier in the day.

Amy Klobuchar has raised over $1 million since last night https://t.co/NzNO0vCzau

— Christina Freundlich (@christinafreund) December 21, 2019

“Since the debate last night, just since last night, from your help online we have raised $800,000 in small contributions,” Klobuchar said in a video posted to Twitter Friday afternoon, adding that she hoped to hit $1 million by the end of the day.

BREAKING: We’ve raised $800,000 in online donations since last night’s debate because of YOU! Now we’re in Iowa on a 27 county #ForAllOfAmerica bus tour. Can you help us hit $1 million by the end of the day? Make a donation at https://t.co/iVg91M9DTq now! pic.twitter.com/6h2lFgN1hZ

— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) December 20, 2019

The haul comes after Klobuchar gave what was widely considered to be a strong performance at the debate Thursday night in Los Angeles, employing lacerating attacks against South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and casting herself as a moderate alternative to Buttigieg and former Vice President Joe Biden.

Klobuchar went after Buttigieg, who has led in polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, over his lack of statewide or federal experience. 

“When we were in the last debate, mayor, you basically mocked the 100 years of experience on the stage,” Klobuchar said, citing accomplishments from herself as well as Biden and Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). 

“So while you can dismiss committee hearings, I think this experience works,” she added before noting that Buttigieg lost a statewide race for Indiana treasurer.

The Minnesota Democrat also sought to cast herself as a candidate focused on the issues when she intervened in a fiery clash between Buttigieg and Warren over the Indiana Democrat’s high-dollar fundraiser at a so-called “wine cave” in Napa.

“I didn’t come here to listen to this argument,” Klobuchar interjected to applause. “I’ve never even been to a wine cave. I’ve been to the wind cave in South Dakota, which I suggest you visit.” 

While the haul definitely serves as a boost for Klobuchar and is evidence that her debate performance left a mark, it is unclear how long the surge of support will last.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) saw a similar spike in donations and a surge in the polls after a heated clash with Biden at the first primary debate, only to see her standing in national and early state surveys steadily shrink over the next several months before she dropped out in early December.

Klobuchar is making a competitive play for Iowa, currently embarking on a 27-county bus tour there to gin up support in Minnesota’s neighboring state; she still has a smaller war chest than several of the primary field’s top-tier candidates and is polling in fifth place in the Hawkeye State, according to RealClear Politics’s polling average of surveys there.   

Besides Klobuchar, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced he raised over $1 million all of yesterday while entrepreneur Andrew Yang said he raised $750,000 since the debate.

Updated: 10:44 p.m.