
As he seeks the Democratic nomination for president, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has an ally in Choctaw, Okla. Bill Haivala is an 82-year-old retired electronics technician.
“I like to find people that basically support, if you call it, a progressive or socialist agenda,” Haivala told Seven Days. “Bernie Sanders is talking about how America should look like Scandinavian countries. That rings a bell with me.”
In July, Haivala found Sanders’ campaign website and made a donation: $250. That’s chickenfeed in a political contest. But democratic socialist Sanders is getting enough of it — from letter carriers, artists, accountants, librarians — to make a towering pile.
Sanders’ latest Federal Election Commission filing, released last Thursday, shows that his campaign raised $26.2 million in the three months leading up to September 30. Since he joined the race, roughly 650,000 people have donated to his campaign — and just 270 of them have given the legal limit of $2,700.
Seven Days sliced and diced the data. The campaign collects zip code and employer info from most donors.
Here’s a by-the-numbers look at who’s giving to Sanders — and how the campaign is spending its money. Data are from the quarter that ended September 30, except where noted.
Ka-ching!


Largest Campaign Spending Recipients
Company | State | Amount Paid | Category |
---|---|---|---|
Tigereye Promotions | OH | $2,535,987 | Campaign merchandise |
Revolution Messaging | DC | $2,532,347 | Digital consulting; ad buy |
DemSign | TX | $668,377 | Campaign merchandise |
ActBlue Technical Services | MA | $659,427 | Donation processing |
Five Maples | VT | $476,084 | Fundraising/direct mail |
People's United Bank | CT | $376,907 | Payroll taxes; bank fees |
New Hampshire Democratic Party | NH | $140,500 | Voter lists; party contribution; event tickets |
First Step Print Shop | VT | $124,445 | Printing |
Stripe | CA | $86,532 | Video production |
Devine Mulvey Longabaugh | DC | $86,532 | Video production |

The Rapid Growth of Bernie's Campaign Payroll


Notable Expenses
- Tickets to the Iowa State Fair — $400
- J's Oyster Bar, Portland, Maine — $316.30
- Uber — $615.89
- Booth rental at Cedar Valley Pridefest in Iowa — $400
- Voter list from South Carolina Democratic Party — $75,000
- Portable toilet rental from AR-JON Portable Toilets & Vienna Septic Tank Service — $402.80
- Foldingchairs4less.com — $761.86
Comments
Comments are closed.
Since 2014, Seven Days has allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we’ve appreciated the suggestions and insights, the time has come to shut them down — at least temporarily.
While we champion free speech, facts are a matter of life and death during the coronavirus pandemic, and right now Seven Days is prioritizing the production of responsible journalism over moderating online debates between readers.
To criticize, correct or praise our reporting, please send us a letter to the editor. Or send us a tip. We’ll check it out and report the results.
Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Thanks for reading.