Carson nears $10M Sept. fundraising haul

Ben Carson’s presidential campaign is nearing a fundraising haul of $10 million in September, he told supporters in a new appeal.

Carson’s campaign shared the news in an email to his supporters, where he announced a contest that would allow the donor that puts him over the $10 million mark to travel with the candidate on the trail.

{mosads}“A $10 million month would be unprecedented for our campaign,” Carson wrote in the email.

CNN reported that the record month puts the campaign on pace to raise almost $20 million for the fundraising quarter spanning from July through September, as it raised $9 million over the first two months.

It’s been a banner month for Carson, who has seen his stock rise dramatically into second place in the GOP field, according to a RealClearPolitics average of recent polls. He’s been dogged more recently by controversy surrounding his assertion that he wouldn’t back a Muslim running for president, but it’s unclear how that will affect his popularity.

The fundraising books close at the end of the month, so presidential campaigns are making one last push to increase their top-line figures in a show of strength to intimidate competitors and increase support. It’s uncertain how much of the almost $20 million the campaign will be able to stock in its war chest, as Carson’s quarterly spending figures won’t likely be released until campaign finance filings are due in the middle of October.

Carson raised $8.5 million in his first full quarter as a presidential candidate, good for the middle of the pack but a far cry from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who led the field with $14.3 million that quarter.