What Campaign Filings Won’t Show: Super PACs’ Growing Sway
The reports showed, for instance, that Jeb Bush has relied largely on wealthy donors giving the maximum contribution — attracting far less financial support from more modest donors — and that Rick Perry, Ben Carson and Rick Santorum are burning through the money they have raised much more quickly than most of their opponents.
Hillary Rodham Clinton raised the most money for the primary of any candidate, $46.7 million, while Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, running against Mrs. Clinton for the Democratic nomination, brought in $15 million, the vast majority of it from donors giving $200 or less.
.. Without super PACs, four Republicans — Mr. Bush, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Mr. Carson — would have raised roughly the same amount of money, $10 million to $12 million in the second quarter of 2015
.. Instead, the field has rapidly separated into three financial tiers. Mr. Bush has raised about $114 million with the help of a super PAC. Mr. Cruz, Mr. Rubio and their super PACs occupy the next-highest tier, with each having raised more than $40 million.
Lagging them is the third tier ..