Aware that his once-quixotic 2016 presidential bid could be relegated to the fringes after a poor showing on Super Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is imploring his supporters to give his campaign a $4 million cash infusion to help him compete with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Sanders issued the call on Monday morning, noting that his campaign had already raised an “impressive” $36 million from 1.2 million individuals in February. The $4 million challenge would put his one-month haul at or above $40 million.
Related: After Shellacking in South Carolina, Sanders Looks to Pick Up the Pieces
“It's a goal that I don't know if we can make, but I think it's very important that we try,” Sanders said.
Besides coinciding with Super Tuesday, the pitch comes ahead of the Federal Election Commission’s midnight deadline for February fundraising and for now the plea seems to be working: A minute by minute ticker of contributions show the campaign has passed the $38 million mark.
Sanders raised nearly $95 million from over 3 million contributors between last April and January, a haul that has allowed him to match resources with Clinton, who raked in over $120 million during that same time period.
But the balance could shift after Super Tuesday, when 11 states and one U.S. territory go to the polls. After winning the recent Nevada caucuses and drubbing Sanders in South Carolina’s primary over the weekend, Clinton has the momentum going into the biggest day yet in the Democratic primary.
Related: Clinton Is Under Mounting Pressure to Release Her Wall Street Speeches
A strong showing by the former First Lady could give her enough delegates to ensure that Sanders never catches up, potentially downgrading his White House bid back to its original dark horse status and crimping his fundraising as Democrats rally to her banner.
Opinion polls show Clinton winning in delegate-rich states like Texas, Tennessee and Georgia. A Suffolk University survey released on Monday found Clinton edging Sanders, 50 percent to 42 percent.
However, a major pay day for the Sanders camp would give him a helpful counter-argument to Clinton’s expected victories and allow the 74-year-old lawmaker to contend that the contest is nowhere near finished.
Related: Voters Say Clinton Is Dishonest and Trump Is Stupid - Why Are They Leading the Race?
Prominent Clinton supporters, who have long criticized Sanders’ economic policies, were back at it again Monday, this time with billionaire investor Warren Buffett doing the talking.
Buffett told CNBC that while he agreed with Sanders on certain topics, "Bernie has a tendency to demonize institutions… and he would turn the system somewhat upside down."
