Romney nearly matches Obama in April fundraising

Mitt Romney and the RNC raised $40.1 million in April, nearly matching President Obama and the Democrats. After a slow start, because of the competitive primaries, Romney’s campaign is poised to become a fundraising juggernaut.

Mitt Romney and the Republican National Committee raised more than $40.1 million in April, the Romney campaign announced Thursday.

That figure nearly matches the $43.6 million President Obama and the Democratic campaign committees brought in last month. In addition, the Romney-RNC figure represents just a half-month of joint fundraising, following the former Massachusetts governor’s effective clinching of the GOP presidential nomination.

Mr. Romney brought in $12.6 million in March, when he was raising money only for his campaign, not the Republican Party, too.

Bottom line: After a slow start, because the primaries were competitive longer than expected, Romney’s campaign is poised to become a fundraising juggernaut, and could well end up raising more than the Obama campaign. When money is factored in from "super political-action committees" and other outside groups, Romney and his backers are likely to outraise Team Obama, including its super PACs.

“Voters are tired of President Obama’s broken promises,” said Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus in a statement. “Mitt Romney has the record and plan to turn our country around – that is why he is receiving such enthusiastic support from voters across the country. Along with the campaign, we will work to provide the resources so that we can defeat President Obama and change the direction of the country.”

For months, Republicans have been asserting that Mr. Obama would raise $1 billion for his reelection effort, but the Obama campaign never publicly set that goal. Obama has aimed to raise at least as much as it did four years ago, $750 million.

The Romney campaign also reported that it has $61.4 million cash on hand, and that 95 percent of donations were for $250 or less.