2016 Presidential Election Fundraising: Totals for Carson, Trump, Bush, Cruz and How they Compare to Clinton and Sanders So Far

By Selena Hill First Posted: Oct 18, 2015 02:58 PM EDT

A new report issued by the Federal Election Commission on the 2016 presidential race reveal that Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Ben Carson have raised the most campaign money in the third quarter.

Carson, Top Republican Fundraiser in Q3

Carson, who continues to climb in the polls, was the top Republican fundraiser this quarter, raking in $20.7 million. According to MSNBC, that's nearly double the $10.6 million he raised in during the previous three months.

The retired neurosurgeon has also impressively out-raised political heavy weights like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, which suggests that he has a strong grassroots base. According to the FEC report, 60 percent of donations sent to the Carson campaign came in amounts of $200 or less. However, the doctor has already spent a whopping $14 million.

Jeb Bush

Bush, on the other hand, only raised $13.4 million in last quarter ending on Oct. 1. Plus, he has spent $11.5 million, which leaves him with just $10.3 million cash on hand. As a result, Bush's campaign is now reportedly trying to ease up on spending.

Donald Trump

In comparison, Republican front-runner Donald Trump managed to raise $3.9 million from about 75,000 donations. He has also spent half a million dollars on paraphernalia, including his famous "Make America Great Again" hats and T-shirts.

Ted Cruz

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is another Republican candidate that has performed well among small donors, raising almost 50 percent of his $12.2 million in increments of $200 or less, reports Newsweek. As a result, Cruz came in third, trailing behind Carson and Bush, in fundraising among GOP presidential candidates.

Top Fundraiser - Hillary Clinton

However, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton takes the cake in fundraising this quarter, raising an outstanding $28 million in the past three months, alone. The former Secretary of State now has $33 million in the bank, which is more than Bush, Sen. Marco Rubio, and Carson combined.