Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) leads a field of 18 Democratic Party candidates in the money chase with $18.2 million raised in the first quarter of the 2020 presidential campaign. Hes tailed by newcomers like Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) with $12 million raised and former U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke of Texas, who pulled in $9.4 million.

That none of these totals particularly stands out as a testament to the divided nature of the field. There is no heir apparent to former President Barack Obama , and the Clinton couples domination of Democratic Party politics for the past 25 years was shattered with Hillary Clinton s 2016 loss. The first-quarter fundraising results provide some of the first data available to see who will emerge as the banner holder for the party and the challenger to President Donald Trump . So far this year, Trump has raised about $30 million.

Here are five takeaways from the fundraising and spending totals reported on Monday by the 15 candidates who announced prior to March 31.

Sanders Relative Dominance

Its not just that Sanders raised more than anyone else in the field, its also that he did so while leading in essentially every other metric the candidates are considering. He has more individual donors than any other candidate and a smaller average donation. A whopping 84% of the $18 million he brought in came from donations of less than $200 the next closest candidate is Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), with 70%. He has more than $28 million on hand, although only $18.1 million is in his main campaign account. His campaign also has signed up more than $1 million worth of monthly recurring donations, which greatly lowers the risk of a burnout. Not only is he in the lead of the money chase, he also appears to have room to grow.

Money doesnt buy everything more on that in a bit but Sanders substantial early financial advantage could help him spread his message and hire organizing staff throughout the country.

Sanders main rival in polling, former Vice President Joe Biden , still hasnt announced his entrance into the presidential contest, and he could challenge the Vermonters monetary supremacy, even if hes unlikely to match Sanders popularity with small donors. And Warren; South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg ; Harris; and ORourke are all gunning for at least parts of Sanders base of liberals and young people.

Cash Rules

Tim Pawlenty. Scott Walker. These candidates werent just monotone Midwesterners with less charisma than a ham sandwich. They also burned through their money early, never caught fire with voters and were run out of the primaries broke months before the Iowa caucuses. Thats why its important to keep track of the candidates cash-on-hand totals and their burn rate (how much of their total raised do they spend each quarter).