By Melanie Mason

January 12, 2012, 6:23 a.m.

Capping off a lucrative fundraising year, President Obama raised more than $68 million for his reelection effort and the Democratic Party in the fourth quarter of 2011, his campaign announced Thursday morning.

The haul -- in which more than $42 million went to Obama for America and more than $24 million to the Democratic National Committee -- marks a drop-off from earlier fundraising periods, but still gives the president a formidable cash advantage over his would-be GOP challengers. In all, the reelection effort has raised more than $220 million since the campaign launched in April 2011.

In a video to supporters, campaign manager Jim Messina heralded the 1.3 million donors that gave to the president's campaign last year, including more than 200,000 new donors that gave to Obama for the first time in the fourth quarter. The campaign said 98% of all donors gave $250 or less, and the average donation this quarter was $55.

But Messina also sounded a cautionary note, warning supporters that the campaign's healthy coffers did not give reason for complacency.

"Too many Obama voters think we don't need their money or that they don't need to give now," Messina said. "... I totally get why people would think that, but they're completely wrong."

Messina pushed back against the widely held expectation that Obama's fundraising would top $1 billion this cycle. He also raised the specter of super-PACs, the independent groups that can raise unlimited money and have already acted aggressively in the GOP primaries.

"When we get an opponent, we’ll be facing down their fundraising operation, as well as all the outside groups already spending money for them," Messina said.

Of course, Obama will not be without super-PAC help of his own as the general election heats up. Former White House aides Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney launched Priorities USA Action (as well as affiliated group Priorities USA, a 501(c)4 organization that does not need to disclose its donors) last April. Burton has said the groups hope to raise $100 million for the 2012 race.