WASHINGTON — Hillary Rodham Clinton’s fundraising team plans to raise money only for the presidential primaries when she launches her 2016 campaign and initially will avoid general-election fundraising.
Democrats familiar with the plans say the campaign finance strategy will avoid taking anything for granted despite her dominant position within the potential Democratic field. The Democrats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about Clinton’s campaign plans. The planned focus on primary money was first reported by The New York Times.
Clinton’s campaign-in-waiting is developing a stable of fundraisers and finance aides for a race likely to exceed the more than the $1 billion President Barack Obama raised for his 2012 re-election. If Clinton announces in April, as expected, her campaign would be required to release its first fundraising report in July.
The finance team will be led by Dennis Cheng, a former top fundraiser for the Clinton Foundation and Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. Under Cheng, the planned finance operation is making changes from its previous incarnation.
The Democrats familiar with the planning said Clinton’s campaign is expected to focus on raising checks of $2,700 per person for the primary and is not expected to create a single finance chairman or national co-chairmen.
Instead, the campaign is likely to have a merit-based national finance committee of top donors that will be similar to the arrangement under Obama. The campaign also plans an early focus on online fundraising, the officials said.