Buttigieg goes on fundraising blitz before Super Tuesday

Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg is ramping up his fundraising efforts as Super Tuesday draws near.

Buttigieg is holding 10 fundraising events across six states over the next two weeks, The New York Times reported. California and Virginia — two of the states that will vote on Super Tuesday — will play host to multiple events.

The former mayor enjoyed success in the Iowa and New Hampshire nominating contests, and he currently leads the Democratic presidential primary pack in state delegates won. However, Buttigieg still has to contend with the fundraising power of his fellow candidates.

For example, Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) campaign reported that it raised $25 million in January alone. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said this week that she raised $6 million in the nine days after the Iowa caucuses.

Thanks to their sizable personal fortunes, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and businessman Tom Steyer have both been able to spend millions of dollars on advertising.

Buttigieg reported earlier that he had raised $4 million in the fours days following Iowa, where he narrowly edged out Sanders for the most state delegates.

While Sanders and Warren both utilize strong grassroots networks to raise money, they don’t hold traditional events for wealthy donors. 

Many of Buttigieg’s scheduled fundraising events are just that, including a Feb. 13 event that was held at the 16,000-square-foot home of a supporter in Indianapolis, according to the Times.

Warren and Sanders have both hammered Buttigieg on his willingness to hold large donor events. 

His campaign’s strategy hinged on success in Iowa and New Hampshire. Now, the campaign intends carry this momentum through to other states as the race goes on, according to the Times.

The campaign announced Thursday that they would have “boots on the ground” in every Super Tuesday state by this coming Monday. 

Both Warren and Sanders have had teams in those states since last year.