--- title: These 30 Numbers Explain the 2016 Election description: 30 key facts about the money behind the 2016 White House race canonical: https://time.com/4162651/2016-election-numbers/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-29T10:00:06.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:41:53.693Z article:section: Politics og:title: These 30 Numbers Explain the 2016 Election og:description: How many Iowans participate in the caucuses? og:url: https://time.com/4162651/2016-election-numbers/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1ffbff3a6b6d226f/698876fae20a873ee8a8ed38/donald-trump-plane.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to the crowd as he arrives at a campaign event at the International Air Response facility on December 16, 2015 in Mesa, Arizona. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: These 30 Numbers Explain the 2016 Election twitter:description: How many Iowans participate in the caucuses? twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1ffbff3a6b6d226f/698876fae20a873ee8a8ed38/donald-trump-plane.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # These 30 Numbers Explain the 2016 Election > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: Watch the Fifth Republican Debate In Four Minutes [Watch (HLS stream): Watch the Fifth Republican Debate In Four Minutes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/mQUMUx2k.m3u8) (4:00)  _Published 2015-12-16. Nine Republican presidential candidates faced off for the fifth Republican debate on CNN_ by [Center for Public Integrity / Michael Beckel](https://time.com/author/center-for-public-integrity/) ## Center for Public Integrity / Michael Beckel Dec 29, 2015 10:00 AM UTC  Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to the crowd as he arrives at a campaign event at the International Air Response facility on December 16, 2015 in Mesa, Arizona. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to the crowd as he arrives at a campaign event at the International Air Response facility on December 16, 2015 in Mesa, Arizona. Ralph Freso—Getty Images by [Center for Public Integrity / Michael Beckel](https://time.com/author/center-for-public-integrity/) ## Center for Public Integrity / Michael Beckel Dec 29, 2015 10:00 AM UTC Estimated amount of money politicians and political groups will raise during **Election 2016**: [**$7.5 billion**](http://deadline.com/2015/11/political-groups-spent-4b-tv-2016-elections-1201626797/) Number of families who provided nearly half of all the early money raised in the 2016 **White House** race: [**158**](http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/11/us/politics/2016-presidential-election-super-pac-donors.html?%5Fr=0) Amount the **Wilks** family of Texas contributed to a pro-**Ted Cruz** super PAC this year: [**$15 million**](http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00575423/1019818/sa/ALL) Ratio by which super PACs out-raised presidential candidates during the first six months of 2015: [**2-to-1**](http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/08/01/17748/super-pac-doppelgangers-eclipse-candidates-campaign-money-chase) By which Republican **Jeb Bush’s** super PAC **Right to Rise USA** out-raised his campaign during that period: [**9-to-1**](http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/08/01/17751/presidential-fundraising) Percentage of TV ads aired so far in the GOP presidential primary sponsored by super PACs and other outside groups: [**80%**](https://twitter.com/mjbeckel/status/677499927728099328) Percentage of TV ads in the Democratic presidential primary sponsored by candidates’ own campaigns: [**99%**](https://twitter.com/mjbeckel/status/672097958498861056) Average number of TV ads aired per day by Democrat **Hillary Clinton** that targeted New Hampshire voters during August and September: [**44**](https://twitter.com/mjbeckel/status/677948683619590144) By her Democratic Party challenger **Bernie Sanders** during those same two months: [**0**](https://twitter.com/mjbeckel/status/649690330749632513) Portion of **New Hampshire** polls in which Clinton led Sanders during that period: [**1/9**](http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-new-hampshire-presidential-democratic-caucus) Number of days since July 20th when someone other than **Donald Trump** has led in Real Clear Politics’ average of national GOP polls: [**3**](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/2016%5Frepublican%5Fpresidential%5Fnomination-3823.html) Date on which **Donald Trump** said he was “not using donors” to fund his presidential bid: [**June 16th**](http://time.com/3923128/donald-trump-announcement-speech/) Minimum amount of money that individuals have since donated to his campaign: [**$3.9 million**](http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00580100/1029398/) Approximate amount **Donald Trump’s** campaign has spent so far on **“Make America Great Again”** hats and other swag: [**$1 million**](http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/10/30/453207497/donald-trump-spent-nearly-1-million-to-get-voters-to-wear-this-hat) Number of current or former GOP governors who have dropped out of the presidential race so far: [**3**](http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/10/16/18631/see-how-much-2016-presidential-candidates-have-raised-so-far) Number of Republican presidential candidates who are millionaires or billionaires: [**13**](http://www.forbes.com/sites/afontevecchia/2015/09/29/forbes-2016-presidential-candidate-net-worth-list/) Number of political ads **Marco Rubio’s** campaign sponsored between April 13th, when he entered the presidential race, and November 23rd: [**0**](https://twitter.com/mjbeckel/status/669259246790381569) Estimated amount that the **Conservative Solutions Project**, a group that doesn’t disclose its funders, spent on pro-Rubio ads during that time: [**$8.5 million**](http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/47-5-million-cant-buy-these-candidates-love-least-so-n472166) Rank of **Jeb Bush** and **Marco Rubio**, respectively, among lobbyists who have bundled campaign contributions for GOP presidential contenders: [**2, 1**](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2015/10/20/lobbyists-bundling-more-campaign-cash-for-rubio/) Portion of campaign funds raised by **Jeb Bush** from donors giving the legal maximum of $2,700: [**4/5**](http://www.cfinst.org/pdf/federal/president/2016/Pres16%5FQ3%5FTable2.pdf) Portion raised by **Marco Rubio** from such wealthy donors: [**3/5**](http://www.cfinst.org/pdf/federal/president/2016/Pres16%5FQ3%5FTable2.pdf) By **Ted Cruz**: [**1/3**](http://www.cfinst.org/pdf/federal/president/2016/Pres16%5FQ3%5FTable2.pdf) Percentage of campaign funds **Bernie Sanders** has raised from donors who gave less than $1,000: [**93%**](http://www.cfinst.org/pdf/federal/president/2016/Pres16%5FQ3%5FTable2.pdf) Amount **James Bond** actor **Daniel Craig** donated to a purportedly pro-**Bernie Sanders** super PAC led by a man with a history of running afoul of creditors: [**$47,300**](http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/09/10/17947/did-shady-pro-bernie-sanders-super-pac-just-dupe-james-bond) **Hillary Clinton’s** estimated net worth: [**$45 million**](http://www.forbes.com/sites/afontevecchia/2015/09/29/forbes-2016-presidential-candidate-net-worth-list/) Date on which **Hillary Clinton** appeared on NBC’s **“Saturday Night Live”** as “Val the bartender”: [**October 4th**](http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/10/val-the-bartender-meets-hillary-clinton-on-saturday-night-live/408859/) Date on which former President **Bill Clinton** appeared at his first fundraiser for the pro-Hillary super PAC **Priorities USA Action**: [**December 1st**](http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/11/17/bill-clinton-to-appear-for-super-pac-backing-hillary-clinton/) Minimum number of people who got **White House** sleepovers during the **Bill Clinton** administration who have donated to **Hillary Clinton’s** 2016 campaign: [**34**](http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/10/26/18668/clinton-white-house-sleepover-guests-still-writing-checks) Percentage of eligible voters in the **United States** who cast ballots in the 2012 general election: [**58%**](http://www.electproject.org/2012g) Approximate number of **Iowans** who participated in the 2012 Republican caucuses: [**122,000**](http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2012/01/04/caucus-turnout-robust-nearing-all-time-record/) _This story is from the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative media organization in Washington, D.C. Read more of its_ [_investigations on the influence of money in politics_](https://www.publicintegrity.org/politics) _or follow it on_ [_Twitter_](https://twitter.com/publici)_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4162651/2016-election-numbers/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4162651/2016-election-numbers/"},"headline":"These 30 Numbers Explain the 2016 Election","datePublished":"2015-12-29T10:00:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:41:53.693Z","description":"30 key facts about the money behind the 2016 White House race","url":"https://time.com/4162651/2016-election-numbers/","keywords":["2016 Election","2016 Election","Campaign Finance"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1ffbff3a6b6d226f/698876fae20a873ee8a8ed38/donald-trump-plane.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Center for Public Integrity / Michael Beckel"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1ffbff3a6b6d226f/698876fae20a873ee8a8ed38/donald-trump-plane.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to the crowd as he arrives at a campaign event at the International Air Response facility on December 16, 2015 in Mesa, Arizona.","caption":"Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to the crowd as he arrives at a campaign event at the International Air Response facility on December 16, 2015 in Mesa, Arizona.","creditText":"Ralph Freso—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2016-election/","name":"2016 Election"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4162651/2016-election-numbers/","name":"These 30 Numbers Explain the 2016 Election"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Watch the Fifth Republican Debate In Four Minutes","description":"Nine Republican presidential candidates faced off for the fifth Republican debate on CNN","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/mQUMUx2k/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-12-16T05:38:16.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/mQUMUx2k.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4162651/2016-election-numbers/","duration":"PT4M","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4162651/2016-election-numbers/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```