(Reuters) - Joe Biden raised .2 million in the third quarter for his U.S. presidential bid as he seeks the 2020 Democratic nomination, his campaign said on Thursday.
Though the former vice president is one of the leading candidates for the nomination, his take lagged behind those of fellow presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg, who raised .3 million and .1 million in the third quarter, respectively.
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, another top contender in polls, has not yet released her fundraising totals.
Incumbent Republican President Donald Trump and his party, meanwhile, jointly raised 5 million for his 2020 reelection bid in the third quarter, the Republican National Committee said on Tuesday.
Fundraising numbers are closely watched to assess whether campaigns are collecting the cash needed to be competitive. They must file detailed fundraising reports for the third quarter to the Federal Election Commission by Oct. 15.
"The question any campaign faces at this point is whether or not you have the resources to compete in early states and sustain your efforts beyond," said Biden campaign manager Greg Schultz in a statement. "Our campaign unequivocally does and builds on our strength each week."
Biden's campaign said earlier on Thursday that it would spend million on television and digital advertisements in the early voting states of the Democratic primary, which include Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. The campaign has also hired dozens of staff members in those states.
