How much money has Ben Carson raised for his 2016 bid?
The presidential bid of retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson is considered a long shot by most political observers, but he's certainly raising money like a real contender.
Carson's campaign told CBS News on Thursday that the Republican has raised $10.5 million since he formed his exploratory committee on March 3. Of that total, $8.35 million was raised since in the April-June quarter that ended Wednesday.
The 209,940 donations to Carson's campaign since March 3 have come from 151,060 individual donors. It's not clear how much cash Carson's campaign has on hand, but that will change by July 15, when campaigns file fundraising paperwork with the Federal Election Commission.
A favorite among the GOP's activist set, Carson rose to prominence following a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in 2013 during which he criticized President Obama as the president looked on.
He's currently toward the front of the pack in national polls -- a Fox News poll last month, for example, found him at 10 percent among GOP voters nationwide, trailing only Jeb Bush and Donald Trump. Still, Carson has never run for elected office before, and some inartful remarks have sparked questions about whether he'll be able to mount a serious bid.
Across the aisle, Hillary Clinton's campaign told CBS News on Thursday that they're on track to raise $45 million in the April-June quarter -- a record-breaking haul for a primary candidate's first fundraising quarter.
CBS News Senior Political Editor Steve Chaggaris contributed to this report.