A month after Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn) successful and incredibly expensive reelection victory over Democratic challenger Tarryl Clark, the conservative darling's fundraising numbers have been crunched, revealing an astonishing total of $13.2 million raised in the 2010 cycle.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, $12.8 million of the total was channeled to Bachmann's coffers by individual donations. After spending more than $11 million in her race to retake her 6th District Congressional seat, Bachmann is left with a substantial $1.97 million on hand.
Bachmann used her proven fundraising prowess as a selling point for her recently unsuccessful bid for a leadership position in the House, which will be controlled by Republicans next session.
The Star Tribune reports that Bachmann collected a whopping $2.3 million in the final three weeks of the election cycle, building on an earlier three-month period in which she raised an unprecedented $5.4 million. Together, this propelled her to an impressive money-making milestone, taking in more money than House Minority Leader John Boehner.
According to the New York Times, Bachmann also spent more than $2.5 million in the last two weeks before the election, inundating airwaves and mailboxes with campaign materials.
Her defeated opponent, Tarryl Clark, sent an email out to supporters Thursday, asking them for fundraising help on behalf of fellow Minnesota Democrat Rep. Keith Ellison. Some have seen this as a sign that she may be steeling herself for a rematch against Bachmann in 2012.