Sanders Outraises Clinton as Primary Battle Advances Westward

With a new fundraising record and thousands of passionate fans packing venues across Washington state this weekend, it appears that neither Bernie Sanders nor his supporters are going anywhere as the Democratic primary battle moves westward.

The Sanders campaign announced Sunday that it pulled in a record $43.5 million in February from 1.5 million contributions averaging about $30 apiece, substantially out-raising Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, who received donations totaling $30.1 million last month.

What’s more, that momentum does not seem to be slowing down. The campaign predicts “another large fundraising total for March,” as nearly a third of contributions so far this month have come from first-time donors.

“This campaign has enthusiasm and the energy to carry us to victory, because we are doing something very unusual in American politics: We are telling the truth,” Sanders told the 10,000 people who packed into Seattle’s KeyArena on Sunday. 

“If we stand together and we don’t allow the Trumps of the world to divide us up, there is nothing we cannot accomplish,” he said. According to the Seattle Times, a crowd of 10,300 was able to enter the arena while another 5,500 listened from outside.

Over the course of the weekend, the senator drew sizable crowds in Spokane and Vancouver, Washington addressing a total of more than 30,000 people in the state, where the Democratic candidates are vying for support and the 101 pledged delegates that are up for grabs in next Saturday’s primary contest.