Cruz Boasts $51M War Chest After Raking in $10M

By Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune

Ted Cruz's presidential campaign announced Sunday it raked in about $10 million during the second quarter of this year, bringing the balance available to promote his campaign to over $51 million.

That number, which combines  contributions to Cruz's campaign and the super PACs backing him, solidifies the senator's status as a potential second-place finisher in the first round of the 2016 money race. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is expected to raise far more money than his competitors.

The official numbers for both Cruz's campaign and the four pro-Cruz super PACs will not be disclosed until later this summer. But Cruz's campaign made the totals public Sunday, shortly after Cruz shared them in an interview that aired on NBC's "Meet the Press."

In a news release touting the numbers, Cruz's campaign boasted the "eye-popping fundraising haul comes off of one of the most successful presidential launches in modern history." Cruz was the first major contender to jump in the race when he declared his candidacy March 23 at Liberty University.

Cruz's campaign also boasted that it has received over 175,000 contributions averaging $81, an indicator of his grassroots appeal. And of the campaign's 120,000 unique donors, there is one or more in nearly half the zip codes across the country, a point that lets Cruz brag about his strategy to build support nationally, not just in the early-voting states.

As an official candidate, Cruz and his team cannot coordinate with the network of super PACs supporting him. To get to the $51 million figure, he appears to have relied on reports last month that the super PACs have raised more than $37 million.

Cruz's campaign has until July 15 to file its second-quarter report, which will includes the names of and amounts given by donors.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune.