U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris raises $540M for campaign so far

U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has raised $540 million in campaign donations since unexpectedly announcing her candidacy on July 21, local media reported on Sunday.

Harris's campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon made the announcement after the Democratic Party convention in the Midwestern metropolis of Chicago, according to The Hill online.

Dillon announced that Harris's campaign raised an additional $82 million during the four-day convention, bringing the total to $540 million.

She also noted a significant increase in donors and reported that 200,000 new volunteers have signed up since the convention began.

A third of the donations came from first-time contributors, with teachers and nurses being the top donor professions, she said.

The Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago last Monday through Friday.

After President Joe Biden's endorsement of her presidential bid, Harris raised $81 million in the first 24 hours, the highest single-day fundraising amount on record.

In the U.S., which does not have public campaign financing, the amount and number of campaign donations are closely monitored for insights into election outcomes.