Castro raises $2.8 million in second quarter

Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro raised $2.8 million in the second quarter, according to his campaign.

Almost 40% of that money came in over the few days following Castro's well-reviewed debate performance late last month in Miami, campaign spokesman Sawyer Hackett said.

The total raised continues to place Castro, the former U.S. housing secretary and San Antonio mayor, in the back of the pack among 2020 contenders. But it is a marked improvement over his first-quarter haul, which was $1.1 million.

Castro's campaign shared the figures after he revealed some of them to reporters while campaigning in Iowa. A short time later, his filing with the Federal Election Commission provided a fuller picture of his second-quarter fundraising, showing he spent big — $2.3 million — with over $1 million unloaded on digital advertising. He ended the period with $1.1 million in the bank.

Hackett also said Castro's average contribution in the second quarter was $22.

Presidential campaigns face an end-of-the-day deadline Monday to report their full second-quarter finances to the FEC. The other Texan in the race, Beto O'Rourke, has not revealed his latest fundraising numbers ahead of the deadline.