--- description: 30 key facts about the money behind the 2016 White House race title: These 30 Numbers Explain the 2016 Election image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1ffbff3a6b6d226f/698876fae20a873ee8a8ed38/donald-trump-plane.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [2016 Election](/tag/2016-election/) ## 2016 Election Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # These 30 Numbers Explain the 2016 Election by [Center for Public Integrity / Michael Beckel](/author/center-for-public-integrity/) ## Center for Public Integrity / Michael Beckel Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 29, 2015 10:00 AM CUT  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](/author/center-for-public-integrity/) ## Center for Public Integrity / Michael Beckel Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 29, 2015 10:00 AM CUT 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/ "undefined") 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 "undefined") 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 "undefined") 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 "undefined") 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 "undefined") 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 "undefined") Percentage of TV ads in the Democratic presidential primary sponsored by candidates’ own campaigns: [**99%**](https://twitter.com/mjbeckel/status/672097958498861056 "undefined") 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 "undefined") By her Democratic Party challenger **Bernie Sanders** during those same two months: [**0**](https://twitter.com/mjbeckel/status/649690330749632513 "undefined") 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 "undefined") 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 "undefined") 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/ "undefined") Minimum amount of money that individuals have since donated to his campaign: [**$3.9 million**](http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00580100/1029398/ "undefined") 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 "undefined") 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 "undefined") 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/ "undefined") 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 "undefined") 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 "undefined") 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/ "undefined") 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 "undefined") Portion raised by **Marco Rubio** from such wealthy donors: [**3/5**](http://www.cfinst.org/pdf/federal/president/2016/Pres16%5FQ3%5FTable2.pdf "undefined") By **Ted Cruz**: [**1/3**](http://www.cfinst.org/pdf/federal/president/2016/Pres16%5FQ3%5FTable2.pdf "undefined") 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 "undefined") 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 "undefined") **Hillary Clinton’s** estimated net worth: [**$45 million**](http://www.forbes.com/sites/afontevecchia/2015/09/29/forbes-2016-presidential-candidate-net-worth-list/ "undefined") 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/ "undefined") 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/ "undefined") 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 "undefined") Percentage of eligible voters in the **United States** who cast ballots in the 2012 general election: [**58%**](http://www.electproject.org/2012g "undefined") 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/ "undefined") _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 "undefined") _or follow it on_ [_Twitter_](https://twitter.com/publici "undefined")_._ ```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":"2026-02-22T13:40:01.971Z","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 topic","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"}}] ```