By Melanie Mason, Tribune Washington Bureau –
WASHINGTON — Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney pulled in more than $40.1 million for his election effort last month, his campaign said Thursday, a near match of President Barack Obama’s April fundraising haul.
It was the first month Romney could reap the benefits of a joint fundraising venture with the Republican National Committee and several state parties. By teaming fundraising efforts with the party committees, Romney could solicit contributions up to $75,000 per person —a steep jump from the $2,500 donation limit the campaign faced during the Republican primary.
The ability to reel in larger checks, paired with an April schedule flush with fundraisers, enabled Romney to nearly equal the $43.6 million raised by Obama for his re-election effort last month. Obama has been fundraising with the Democratic Party and affiliated committees for months, allowing the incumbent to build a lopsided cash advantage over Romney. In March, for example, the president collected more than $53 million while Romney raised nearly $12.6 million.
Now, in clinching the Republican nomination, Romney has begun to chip away at that fundraising disparity. The April numbers were first reported Thursday by The New York Times. In a subsequent press release, the campaign announced that it, along with the RNC, had $60.1 million in the bank at the end of April.
“We are pleased with the strong support we have received from Americans across the country who are looking for new leadership in the White House,” said finance chairman Spencer Zwick in a statement. “Along with the hard work of the Republican National Committee, we will continue to raise the funds necessary to defeat President Obama in November.”
According to the campaign, about a quarter of the April total —$10.1 million — came from donations in increments of $250 or less.
