Democrats smash fundraising records after death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

According to ActBlue's executive director Erin Hill, the $91 million stemming from 1.5 million donations broke the record for dollars raised both in one day and in one hour by the non-profit.

By ZACHARY KEYSER, REUTERS
THE US Supreme Court (photo credit: REUTERS)
THE US Supreme Court
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Democratic candidates and progressive groups raised more than $90 million in the hours following the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, according to the fundraising organization ActBlue - the party's online fundraising platform.
ActBlue said grassroots donors gave $91.4 million to Democratic candidates and causes in the 28 hours after 8 p.m. Friday, around the time the news of Ginsburg's death broke.
According to ActBlue's executive director Erin Hill, the $91 million stemming from 1.5 million donations broke the record for dollars raised both in one day and in one hour by the non-profit.
Donors gave $70.6 million on Saturday alone and $6.3 million in one hour on Friday night, Hill said, beating the group's previous records of $41.6 m. and $4.3 m. respectively. The bulk of the funding will go toward key Senate races.
For what has already been an incendiary campaign season, has just gotten more heated with the death of Ginsburg, after US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he would quickly nominate a successor to the liberal icon.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has promised a vote, giving the pair a chance to cement a 6-3 conservative majority on the court while their party holds both the White House and a 53-47 Senate majority.
This type of move could lead to the Supreme Court overturning decisions that legalize abortion, changing stances on health care, etc. – fiery debates in this election year. Considering that Trump needs the support of the Senate, which currently has a Republican majority, he would need to act quickly to confirm a nominee for the vacant Supreme Court position or risk losing that majority in the November election regardless of whether he wins the presidency.
However, a majority of Americans, including many Republicans, want the winner of the November presidential election to name a successor to Ginsburg, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Sunday.
The poll found that 62% of American adults agreed that the vacancy should be filled by the winner of the November 3 race between Trump and the Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, while 23% disagreed and the rest said they were not sure.
Eight out of 10 Democrats – and half of the Republicans – agreed that the appointment should wait until after the election.
In line with the influx of donations following the death of Ginsburg, the poll found that 30% of American adults said that Ginsburg's death will make them more likely to vote for Biden while 25% said they were now more likely to support Trump. Another 38% said that it had no impact on their voting plans, and the rest said they were not sure.


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