(CNN) – The senior strategist for President Barack Obama's re-election team said he's "not surprised" his campaign raised less money last month than Republican rival Mitt Romney.
David Axelrod attributed Romney's May haul of $77 million to the end of the Republican primary season, allowing the presumptive GOP nominee to shore up cash that was previously going to a crowded field of contenders.
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"You pick up all the money that you couldn't raise in the primary from Republicans who were supporting other candidates," Axelrod said on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." "So we anticipated this."
Romney's fundraising totals came from a joint effort between Romney for President, Romney Victory, and the Republican National Committee. The figure marked a big jump from April, when he took in $40.1 million.
Since the beginning of April, Romney's rivals Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich have dropped out of the race. The former Massachusetts governor also crossed the 1,144 delegate threshold for the August convention, essentially clinching the GOP presidential nomination.
Obama's campaign, meanwhile, announced Thursday it raised $60 million in May, an amount also divided between the re-election campaign, the Democratic National Committee and affiliated Democratic state parties.
While Romney's numbers were higher in May, the Republican effort said they ended May with $107 million in the bank. Obama's campaign did not disclose their cash on hand for May, though they ended April with $115 million.
Responding to the Romney fund-raising announcement, Obama campaign press secretary Ben LaBolt tweeted: "Reminder on RNC/Romney camp fundraising: 1st month joint committee was in existence, so all their primary donors wrote their maxout checks."
Romney and the RNC joined fund-raising forces beginning May 8.
– CNN's Kevin Liptak and Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
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You know you are worried Axelrod. Hope you have a job to fall back on come November when Obama loses the presidential race. Wish it was happening tomorrow. You liberals/democrats are running scared.......time for Obama to join you back in Chicago. We have had enough of him now.......or better still he can head to Hollywood and join his celebrity friends.
Because, we really like Donald Trump more than those Holloywood types?
Maggie, what's in it for you; the rich are getting richer and I don't see your name anywhere in the long list of millionaires, it's not even on the short list.
@Maggie: Don't gloat this is the USA we don't buy or sell the Presidency. The middle class and poor will not vote for Romney.
Obama logo "forward" because he afraid if American people will look back on Obama record. Let's face it- nothing, just bla-bla-, fund collection and vacation. This is not what he promise. Change, nobody even talk about it.
We are becoming a dictatorship country where those with the money control everything.
Former Republican for President Obama
... The middle class and poor will not vote for Romney.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Certainly Obama, just like you loves to divide Americans into classes, but don't think because someone makes less income that they are stupid. ( Obama's mistake, too ). These people would like to see economic improvement in America as well. Obama's efforts have been fruitless and he has had his run of the US Treasury and plenty of time. And what does Obama/ Biden 2012 bring? No new ideas or plans, just excuses and attacks. Enough already. We can do better.
First bidder to become the president? It can't happen. Americans are not all that dumb!
I am middle class with 2 children and working hard for a living to pay for mortgage and increasing grocery bills. And the four of us in the family will vote for Romney. Why because we know how important is budgeting our family financies is about, know what hard work is (not handout), and that we are a family that tightens our spending and only spend what we can afford and not what we can afford. And definitely, it would be a dream of my kids will grow up like Romney and be successful instead of pouting of the not-have and can't have ..
Mitt Romney doesn't care about the middle class or poor. just want to get what every millionaires or rich person dream of being... president of the united states of america. this guy thinks he's a Kennedy. but he's NO KENNEDY!! there is no smart republican in the 21th century. will NOT and NEVER will be. im going to laugh when Mitt Romney fail BIG TIME in November. remember people we don;t want another Bush in the White House.
Of course Axelrod brushed it off. That's his job: to look confident when the going gets rough. I for one am done with Obama. We gave him four years, and I won't be duped into giving him another four. I'm glad to see Mitt's campaign is doing so well. Go Mitt!!!
priorities
#1 social issues
#2 economy
#3 favorability & likability
Why does CNN and other networks bother to interview these paid political operatives? There's nothing news-worthy that comes from their mouths unless they mess up.
Rmoney can boast of donations from his 'fellow' corporations and super PACs funded by foreign interests. None of those can vote!
Only the rich should vote for Romney. My taxes were over 26% and I had no place else to hide it as I work for my living every day as hard as I can yet pay more taxes. The poor pay a larger part through state taxes etc., than do the rich. Vote Obama in 2012
It is now going to take a billion dollars to run in a General Election.
Thanks alot supreme court, you really messed up on that ruling
Don't be surprised if Romney takes in at least 10 to 20 times more money through Super Pacs and special interests thanks to the Supreme Court. Of course this will mainly be anonymous and some could even be funnelled from overseas. They will "'swift boat" , "fear and smear" and distort the truth to the gullible base. Of course the media will be afraid to stand up to them and expose the truth. So much for democracy.
Just like they brushed off the 2010 elections and Tuesday nights rout of their Dem vs Wisconsin voters.
Ben LaBolt is the biggest crybaby .... the Obama campaing sounds incredibly defensive hmm
As gullible as a lot of Americans are, and the ingretegrity problem of the repubs party, dam right I am concerned. The supreme court has destroyed our democracy, of by the people, for the people, now its by the corporate for the corporate money, and the American better fight like hell to get in line, unless the Chinese will take all the trickling.
In the 2000 elections, the Republicans stole the presidency by voter supression and ballot fraud in Florida. SCOTUS appointed Bush president instead of ordering a recount. SCOTUS has again intervened to assure a Republican victory in 2012 by the Citizens United ruling. We may as well as the Koch brothers who they want as president and congress people and have SCOTUS appoint them. Forget elections. Quit sending our boys to die in foreign lands to "bring democracy" when ours is a joke!
Put on your Highway patrol uniform, Mitt and go impersonate some more police officers, like you did in high school. What a freak you are. But wait, you're super rich, so that makes you "Eccentric" instead.
@Former Republican – what's with the division of the voters? Are you better than you were when Obama took over? Don't generalize who will vote for whom. Speak for your self. As for me, I'll be voting for Romney – 1st time republican voter.
It's funny. Libbies thought this was gonna be a cake-walk.
You guys are gonna be lucky to keep the Senate, let alone the Presidency.
Wake up Maggie I've got something to say to you, it ain't late September and I really think you sound like a fool.