Backgrounder: U.S. presidential debates

Obama and the Democratic Party raised a record 181 million U.S. dollars in September.

The amount was still slightly lower than the $190 million set by the Obama campaign in Sept. 2008.

Romney's campaign and the Republican Party are expected to fall behind.

U.S. President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party raised a record 181 million U.S. dollars of campaign funds in September, the Obama campaign announced on Saturday.

The president's reelection campaign said in a Twitter message that last month more than 1.8 million people donated to the campaign and the Democratic National Committee, among whom more than 567,000 were first-time donors.

The September haul was compared to the 114 million dollars raised by the campaign in August, which was slightly higher than the 111 million dollars raised by Obama's challenger Mitt Romney and the Republican Party. Before August, the Romney campaign had out-raised Obama's campaign for three months.

However, the amount was still slightly lower than the all-time record of 190 million dollars set by the Obama campaign in September 2008, when Obama was running for the White House for the first time as a U.S. senator.

It remains unclear how much cash the Obama campaign has now, while it reportedly had about 89 million dollars in the bank at the end of August. The new fund will help the incumbent continue his advertising offensives in a dozen so-called "swing states," which are crucial for his successful reelection.

Romney's campaign and the Republican Party have yet to reveal the amount of the money they raised in September, but they are expected to fall behind Obama and the Democrats. Romney's strong performance in the first presidential debate held on Wednesday night in Denver, Colorado may help boost his fundraising drive, as the November election day draws near.

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Obama, Romney face off in first debate
 
U.S. President Barack Obama is to face off with his Republican challenger Mitt Romney for the first time in this campaign cycle here Wednesday in the first presidential debate, as both candidates are trying to best each other five weeks before American voters cast their votes.