WASHINGTON _ Michael Bloomberg spent $188 million for his Democratic presidential campaign in the last five weeks of 2019, more than doubling the spending record for any presidential candidate in a year before voting starts.
That amount included $132 million in television advertising, $8.2 million on digital ads, $3.3 million on polling and $1.5 million on rent, according to the campaign and a report filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Bloomberg, who is self-financing his campaign, gave it $200 million last year, his report shows. That far exceeded fundraising by other campaigns in the fourth quarter, including the $154 million that President Donald Trump and his allied committees took in.
Bloomberg's spending in an off-year is more than double the record set by Mitt Romney in 2007, who spent $87.6 million in his unsuccessful bid for the 2008 Republican nomination. Romney, now a senator from Utah, put $35.4 million of his own money into that effort.
Besides ad spending, Bloomberg has spent heavily to hire staff and open offices. At the end of this filing period, the campaign said it had about 150 employees. It now has more than 1,000, including more than 700 in 35 states.
"Our first month's filing represents a down payment and commitment in all 50 states to defeat Donald Trump, and it shows we have the resources and plan necessary to take him on," Kevin Sheekey, Bloomberg's campaign manager, said in a statement.
Friday was the deadline for presidential campaigns to file year-end reports detailing contributions and spending for the fourth quarter of 2019. Bloomberg announced his entry into the 2020 race on Nov. 24
Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.
The spending has helped Bloomberg rise to fourth in the RealClearPolitics average of national polls behind Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, though still at less than 10%.
Because of his late start, the former New York mayor is skipping the first four nominating contests in February and focusing on the states voting March 3 on so-called Super Tuesday and beyond.
