Warren, Sanders fundraising surges after clashes with Bloomberg in fiery Nevada debate
In previous debates, the Massachusetts Democrat has shied away from directly attacking her opponents
As Democrats clashed in the fiery Las Vegas debate that saw Michael Bloomberg take the brunt of attacks on Wednesday night, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren were raking in donations at a breakneck pace.
Warren — who opened the night with a blistering takedown of Bloomberg before directing her ire at other 2020 rivals on the stage — saw the best fundraising day of all nine debates, her campaign said on Twitter.
In previous debates, the Massachusetts Democrat has shied away from directly attacking her opponents, instead opting for calmly promising party unity. But her supporters clearly loved the fighter that emerged on the Las Vegas stage, including zingers thrown at the three-time New York City, who's emerged as the perfect billionaire foil to both Sanders and Warren.
"I'd like to talk about who we're running against: a billionaire who calls women 'fat broads' and 'horse-faced lesbians,'" she began. "And no, I'm not talking about Donald Trump, I'm talking about Mayor Bloomberg."
In total, she raked in a staggering $2.8 million, her campaign announced within hours of the debate ending. Warren desperately needed the money after lackluster finishes in both Iowa and New Hampshire, seemingly leaving her campaign on life support.
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While fundraising doesn't necessarily show who's going to win the primary, it's an important indication of enthusiasm for a candidate and is necessary to propel the contenders through an arduous and expensive primary process — especially when facing off against Bloomberg, one of the wealthiest men alive. The 78-year-old billionaire has already spent more than $400 million of his own fortune on ads, on top of an unknown amount to build a massive campaign juggernaut.
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Warren slightly edged out Sanders in the fundraising race. After the debate ended, his campaign announced the Vermont senator and self-avowed democratic socialist had fundraised $2.7 million from nearly 150,000 individual donations — also the campaign's best debate day.
According to an aggregate of national polls by RealClearPolitics, Sanders has a commanding double-digit lead and is trailed by former Vice President Joe Biden, Bloomberg and Warren.
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In Nevada, which holds its caucus on Saturday, Sanders also has a solid lead, while Biden is in second and Warren in third. Bloomberg is not participating in the four-early voting states and is instead concentrating on Super Tuesday, March 3, when 14 states will cast their ballots.