(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-03-07 10:14

WASHINGTON -- US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has raised about US$55 million in February for his campaign, the highest amount of fundraising for any White House contender in a single month, his campaign team said on Thursday.

US Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama speaks during a rally at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, February 27, 2008. [Agencies]

The campaign said that a total 727,972 donors contributed to the African American presidential hopeful last month, including 385,101 first-time contributors.

Altogether, more than one million individuals have donated to Obama's campaign since it began in 2007, it added.

Internet played a vital role in the fundraising in the month as always since more than US$45 million came from the online contributors, about three-quarters of whom were the first-time, according to the campaign.

Obama's rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, was reported to raise about US$35 million in February.

Obama won 11 Democratic primaries or caucuses after Feb. 5 and overtook Clinton in the number of delegates who will vote at the national nomination convention, which greatly pulled up his numbers in the national polls and fundraising.