Bernie Sanders' 2020 campaign reports raising $4M in half a day

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 25: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks during a rally for Nevada Democratic candidates at the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts on October 25, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Bernie Sanders' campaign says he has raised more than $4 million in the 12 hours since announcing his 2020 presidential campaign.

The Vermont senator said Tuesday that nearly 150,000 individuals had contributed to his Democratic bid.

Previously, the biggest first-day fundraiser in the race had been California Sen. Kamala Harris, who raised $1.5 million in the first 24 hours of her campaign.

Sanders stunned the Democratic establishment in 2016 with his spirited challenge to Hillary Clinton. His campaign helped lay the groundwork for the leftward lurch that has dominated Democratic politics in the era of President Donald Trump.

The question now for Sanders is whether he can stand out in a crowded field of Democrats who embrace many of his policy ideas and who are newer to the national political stage.