Carson Raises Millions, Surpass & Surprised All

RANDLEMAN, N.C. (AP) -- She had never before given more than a few hundred dollars to a politician. But two weeks ago, Jacquelyn Monroe, a single mother who plays the piano for a living, decided to raise $100,000 for Ben Carson.

Inspired by a brief meeting at the hotel where she works, the 45-year-old Georgia woman joined an army of middle-class Americans fueling the fundraising juggernaut that is Carson's Republican presidential campaign.

"It's not something that I would normally set out to do," said Monroe, who added she was moved by Carson's authenticity and Christian faith and coaxed into collecting money from friends and business associates by his ambitious campaign staff. "$100,000-plus is a big deal for me."

While the GOP establishment remains deeply skeptical of the retired neurosurgeon's chances in 2016, even the most seasoned political operatives concede that Carson's ability to raise money, if not his rising poll numbers, exceeds their expectations and ensures him a prominent place in the packed Republican contest four months before voting begins.

Carson's team confirmed Wednesday he has raised more than $20 million in the three-month period that ended Wednesday and $31 million overall since he entered the race in May - much of it from small-dollar donors or newcomers to presidential politics.

Senior campaign staffers had a special cake made Wednesday to celebrate their fundraising haul, which was more money than what was raised by the GOP's entire White House field combined over the same period four years ago.