Final answer:
Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate in the 2016 presidential election, raised more campaign funds than her Republican counterpart, Donald Trump, due to her high public profile and strong donor network.
Step-by-step explanation:
Campaign Fundraising in the 2016 Presidential Election The 2016 U.S. presidential election saw significant fundraising efforts, notably with the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, raising substantially more money than the Republican candidate, Donald Trump. Clinton leveraged her extensive political history and network, having been First Lady, a U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State, to attract a considerable amount of donations. Whereas, Trump, despite his lower fundraising figures, benefited from extensive free media coverage and floated the idea of self-funding his campaign.
Campaign funds play a critical role in a candidate's ability to campaign effectively. Those with greater name recognition tend to have an easier time attracting donations due to perceived higher odds of winning. In contrast, newcomers face more challenges to prove their viability. This dynamic was evident as early polling and fundraising favored Clinton, who raised $47 million by mid-2015, far outpacing her Democratic rivals and even the eventual Republican nominee, Trump.
Clinton's fundraising ability was also helped by the expectation among donors, based on public opinion polls, that she would be the primary or the most promising candidate to back. The gender gap in the election was also notable, with a higher percentage of women voting for Clinton, while men slightly favored Trump. Clinton's substantial voter support translated into a victory in the popular vote, though it was Trump who secured enough Electoral College votes to win the presidency.