Rep. Michele Bachmann started 2011 right where she left off in 2010: raising millions of dollars.
As she self-reported earlier this month, the Minnesota Republican hauled in nearly $2.2 million between her congressional committee ($1.7 million) and political action committee ($500,000) the first three months of 2011. That number topped 2012 presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, who took in $1.9 million.
Fundraising is one of the biggest strengths Bachmann brings to the table as she weighs a 2012 bid. Here's a detailed by-the-numbers look at her congressional first-quarter fundraising, based on her filing with the Federal Election Commission:
- $1.2 million: Of the $1.7 million Bachmann raised, more than $1.2 million came from unitemized small-dollar donors, who give less than $200. That means, at the bare minimum, more than 6,000 people donated less than $200 to Bachmann. The actual number is probably higher.
- $434,000: Known donors — anyone who gives more than $200 in an election cycle — contributed $434,000 to Bachmann. Her filing had 1,084 itemized contributions.
- $550,000: You have to spend money to make money: Bachmann spent more than $550,000 in the first quarter raising money. That includes expenses for telemarketing, direct mailers, online advertising and traditional fundraisers.
- $1,000: While Bachmann was raking in cash from individuals, she received just a single PAC contribution: TCF Bank's PAC gave her $1,000.
- $5,000: Bachmann paid Oval Office Writers LLC $5,000 for speech writing. Oval Office Writers is run by Marc Thiessen, who was a chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush, and Peter Schweizer, who was a speechwriting consultant under Bush.
- $2.8 million: Bachmann ends the first quarter with $2.8 million cash on hand in her congressional campaign. That money — though not her PAC money — could be transferred to a presidential campaign, because both offices are federal.
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