Biden says he has raised $33 million in first half of March

Former Vice President Joe Biden said on Sunday that he has raised $33 million so far in March, a sign that his fundraising pace has drastically increased following a recent winning streak in the Democratic presidential primary race.

The sum is far more than the $8.9 million his campaign raised in January, the most recent month for which fundraising information is available.

Biden has lagged behind his top rivals in fundraising for much of the past year. In January, for instance, Biden’s top rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), raked in a staggering $25 million. 

But Biden’s announcement on Sunday in the midst of a one-on-one primary debate with Sanders suggests that he’s finding his financial footing in the race.

Biden has reclaimed his front-runner status in the contest after notching wins in more than a dozen primary contests in recent weeks and has found himself as the only moderate Democratic left in the field. 

Biden’s surprise fundraising announcement on Sunday suggests that his recent momentum is paying off at a crucial time in the campaign. Biden is on track to clinch the Democratic nomination in the coming weeks and will have to bulk up his campaign account for an expectedly arduous and expensive general election campaign against President Trump.