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Obama raises $32.5 million, thought to be a Democratic party record

  • Story Highlights
  • Sen. Barack Obama raised at least $32.5 million from April to June
  • Total thought to be a new record for a Democratic presidential candidate
  • Rival for nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton, said to have raised about $27 million
  • Democratic candidate John Edwards raised $9 million during second quarter
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama raised at least $32.5 million in the second quarter of 2007, topping his first quarter effort by nearly $7 million, the Illinois Democrat's campaign announced Sunday.

The Obama campaign said the senator raised "at least" $31 million in the second quarter in primary money, and a total -- counting $1.5 million in general election funds -- of $32.5 million.

The amount is believed to be the highest ever raised in a quarter by a Democratic candidate, and exceeded what rival Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign predicted she would raise in the same period.

In an e-mail posted on the campaign Web site, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said the fundraising will allow Obama to compete fully funded in all February 5, 2008, contests in states like California and New York.

"Frankly, when we entered this race, we did not think that was possible," Plouffe wrote. "We estimated at this point of the campaign we'd be at least $20-25 million behind one of our fellow candidates."

Clinton's campaign has not yet released the amount of money raised for the second quarter, which ended at midnight Saturday.

Spokesman Howard Wolfson said Thursday that the New York senator and former first lady expected to be out-raised by Obama. Wolfson said she would raise "in the range of $27 million" in the second quarter, putting her total take for the year north of $53 million.

In the first quarter, Obama raised $25.7 million, and $24.8 million of that was for the primary campaign. Clinton led Democratic fundraising in the first quarter, raising $26 million, and posted another $10 million from her Senate war chest.

More than 154,000 donors contributed money to Obama's campaign this quarter, up from the 104,000 donors in the first quarter, Obama's campaign said.

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Also on Sunday, former Sen. John Edwards' campaign announced that it had raised more than $9 million in the second quarter. That total is sharply lower than it was during the first quarter, when he raised more than $14 million. But the deputy manager of his campaign touted the news.

"It's been a great quarter for us," Jonathan Prince told reporters Sunday during a conference call.

Prince said the campaign had reached its goal for the three-month fundraising period, and added that "almost all" of the money raised in this quarter can be spent in the Democratic primary.

And Sen. Chris Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, raised $3.25 million in the second quarter, a campaign official said. But the official told CNN that Dodd's campaign does not have a primary-general election split broken down.

Overall, Dodd has raised more than $12 million in 2007 to date and has about $6.5 million remaining in the bank, the official said.

Although candidates have until July 15 to file their contribution and expenditure reports with the Federal Election Commission, many campaigns -- especially those that did well -- are likely to release the figures sooner.

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Earlier this week, a spokesman for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he has raised at least $7 million from April through June, which would be about $800,000 more than he raised in the first quarter.

Richardson's overall total will top $13 million, which would put him near the top of the second tier of Democratic candidates. E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend

CNN's Steve Brusk and Mark Preston contributed to this report.

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