WASHINGTON — New York Sen. Charles Schumer trounced the entire Senate in the latest round of fund-raising — and his near-certain promotion to Democratic leader leaves him positioned for ever bigger hauls.
In the first three months of this year, Schumer collected more than $2.9 million for his 2016 re-election campaign, more than any colleague, a Post analysis found.
By this point last year, he had brought in $830,154.
During the same period before his last election in 2010, Schumer raised $1.4 million — less than half his current take.
Senate colleagues are in awe of his ability to dial for dollars.
“He always seems to take it to a new level,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), former chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
“He just never stops,” added Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.). “The guy — he knows everyone in this country, and he never stops fund-raising. It’s not like he’s doing a lot at one time — he’s consistent.”
Schumer is poised to succeed the exiting Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada as Democratic leader in 2017.
The New York senior senator’s newfound power, however, impacted only the final four fund-raising days of the quarter since Reid announced his retirement on March 27.
Schumer is now sitting on $16 million in cash, second only to Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), who has more than $18 million and a reputation for hoarding funds.
The more Schumer raises, the more he can dole out to others to help Democrats win back control of the Senate in 2016 — and put him in charge.
“One of the ways you ensure the loyalty of other members is by raising a ton of money,” said Bill Allison, senior fellow at the Sunlight Foundation, which advocates for government transparency.
“He’s got good ties to Wall Street; he’s got good ties with a lot of the Democratic constituencies. He’s prolific. It is only going to make him more sought after by donors.”
Democrats can only imagine what Schumer will be able to haul in for the next fund-raising period, now that his promotion is secured.
“Giving someone with the fund-raising skills Schumer has, the platform of Democratic leader would be like powering the Energizer bunny with nuclear fusion,” said Democratic consultant David DiMartino.
A third of the Senate is up for reelection in 2016, and unlike 2014, it’s the Republicans who are on defense.
High-profile Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Marco Rubio of Florida all raised less than $500,000 in the first quarter of the year before launching their presidential campaigns.
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