Cory Booker says his campaign needs to raise $1.7 million in the next 10 days or he's out

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Cory Booker says his campaign needs to raise $1.7 million in the next 10 days or he's out

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cory booker

Sen. Cory Booker needs $1.7 million by Sept. 30.

If he doesn't get it, he's likely going to be out of the 2020 presidential campaign, according to a staff memo obtained by NBC News' Alex Seitz-Wald.

"Without a fundraising surge to close out this quarter, we do not see a legitimate long-term path forward," campaign manager Addisu Demissie wrote in the memo. "The next 10 days will determine whether Cory Booker can stay in this race."

Booker is No. 8 in national polls, below entrepreneur Andrew Yang, mayor Pete Buttigieg, and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke. Booker is presently polling at 2%.

Polls in early voting states reflect that voters are split among former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Sen. Bernie Sanders. Sen. Kamala Harris and Buttigieg claim high single-digit percentages, while the other 14 candidates haven't cracked 2% in Iowa or New Hampshire. 

Read more: Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren are pulling ahead of the Democratic field, but voters don't think they can beat Trump

Per month on average, Booker attracted $1.5 million in campaign contributions from April to June this, according to Federal Election Commission data. So, getting a full $1.7 million in just ten days would be ostensibly tricky for the New Jersey senator. 

The staff memo warned that many other promising candidates are likely to drop out of the race in coming weeks. New York City mayor Bill de Blasio exited the race this week.

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"Booker might not be in this race for much longer - the same is true for other important voices in the field," Demissie wrote.

The memo preceded what would become a full-court press of publicity from Booker's team emphasizing the number and their need for donations.

On Twitter, Booker insisted it wasn't a stunt.

 

Read the full NBC News story here.

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