By James McNair
Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting
After three months of lagging behind Bernie Sanders in the chase for campaign money in Kentucky, Hillary Clinton posted her best fundraising month here in April.
The former secretary of state received $96,259 in individual contributions from Kentuckians last month, according to new data from the Federal Election Commission. Sanders, the senator from Vermont, received $76,877.
Sanders’ fundraising effort peaked in March, when he came close to banking more money than all other candidates in both political parties combined. His late push nearly gave him a win in the Kentucky Democratic primary on May 17, but he fell 1,924 votes short, half a percentage point from victory. Sanders asked for a recanvass.
The FEC data for April also showed that:
• Clinton widened her Kentucky fundraising lead over Sanders, $541,760 to $421,094.
• Kentuckians gave $173,146 to Democratic candidates for president in April, compared with $64,598 to Republicans. On a running basis, however, donations to Republicans still outpace those to Democrats, $1.24 million to $1.08 million.
• New York businessman Donald Trump continues to receive scant financial support from Kentuckians. He raised a mere $4,831 in Kentucky last month, and his $32,485 to date is less than seven Republican rivals who have all dropped out of the race.
• Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was the leading recipient of money on the Republican side last month. His $56,847 in contributions was his best monthly showing in Kentucky in 2016.
Here’s how the numbers stack up, updates May 27, 2016:
Alexandra Kanik contributed to this report. Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting’s James McNair can be reached at jmcnair@kycir.org and (502) 814.6543. James McNair is a veteran investigative reporter who specializes in business and finance issues. McNair has spent 30 years in journalism, having worked as a staff reporter for the Miami Herald and the Cincinnati Enquirer. His reporting has unearthed fraudulent schemes and dubious business practices. He has won journalism awards in five states.