Sen. Cory Booker raked in a respectable $6 million for his struggling Democratic presidential campaign in the last three months.
The New Jersey senator's fourth-quarter haul was a respectable total for a candidate who's struggled to get out of the low single digits in most polls and was cut from the last debate.
Booker's cash pile is dwarfed by frontrunners like Bernie Sanders, who raised $34 million and the other top-tier candidates who scored between $22 million and $25 million. Businessman Andrew Yang and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota doubled up on Booker.
The former Newark mayor is pleading with donors to keep him in the race in part because he is the only remaining candidate who is black or Latino. He threatened to pull out in September if he didn't raise nearly $1 million quickly and supporters responded.
Julian Castro quit the race Thursday after Sen. Kamala Harris of California dropped her White House bid last month. All three are considered potential vice presidential contenders on a Democratic ticket.
If Booker were to drop out, it would again underline the fact the top tier of the Democratic race is all white _ an uncomfortable reality for a party that relies heavily on voters of color and in which President Barack Obama remains the most popular figure.
Booker has drawn plaudits from his performances in debates when he was included in them. Democratic voters find him likable and many say they would consider voting for him. But few say he is their first choice.
