CNN
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First full financial overview 2024 presidential race The focus was on the weekend as candidates filed campaign finance reports with federal regulators. They highlight potential trouble spots for Florida government. Ron DeSantis Expose a wide gap between early fundraising leaders in the Republican primary and the rest of the GOP field.
Here are excerpts from the second quarter fundraising reports for the three months ended June 30.
Governor of Florida Raised $20 million — a strong total — but his campaign is burning through money at a rapid rate, costing him nearly $8 million Entered the competition at the end of MayAs filed with the Central Election Commission on Saturday.
Travel and salary expenses exceeded $1 million each, and more than $800,000 went to digital fundraising consulting, according to a campaign statement. By the end of June, DeSantis had hired 90 people, up from nearly 40 hired through the previous campaign. President Donald TrumpThe current GOP primary front-runner.
On Saturday, DeSantis confirmed that the team of campaign aides recently cut some staff.
« Defeating Joe Biden and the $72 million behind him will require a fast-paced and candidate-driven campaign, and we’re building a movement to go the distance, » campaign spokesman Andrew Romeo said in a statement.
The latest filing underscores another warning sign for DeSantis: A small share — less than 15% — of his contributions were from individuals of $200 or less. Strong small-dollar donations can provide a sign of grassroots momentum behind a campaign, and supporters who give small amounts can be tapped again and again for donations, before the $3,300 maximum a person can legally donate in a primary election.
DeSantis entered the second half of the year with $12.2 million in the bank, but only $9 million in GOP primary spending. DeSantis raised $3 million in general election money from top donors who can only spend if he wins his party’s nomination.
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This weekend’s reports underscore a stark divide between those who have raised significant amounts of money — like Trump and DeSantis — and other well-known political figures running for the GOP.
Former Vice President Mike Pence languished in the bottom half of the pack, earning less than $1.2 million, filings show. He Entered the 2024 competition In the first week of June, more than three weeks remained in the fundraising quarter, but months had passed in preparing the bid. His meager numbers raise questions about whether the party can gain traction among loyalists.
Nearly 30% of contributions from individuals to Pence came from those who donated $200 or less. Former New Jersey Governor. Chris Christie The former vice president outdid himself — raising more than $1.65 million in the first 25 days of his candidacy — and pocketed a third of his personal contributions in these small amounts.
Notably, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is largely self-funding his campaign, received more money — nearly $1.6 million — from contributors than Pence did. (Burgham, a former software executive They work hard to attract donors(It offers $20 gift cards for donations of at least $1 in an effort to reach the contributor threshold to qualify for next month’s first GOP debate.)
Trump, who leads the GOP field in the polls, raised $17.7 million in the quarter — most of which was transferred from the Joint Fundraising Group, which funnels donations to the lead PAC, Save America.
Save America has paid the former president’s legal fees in the past; Trump has now been indicted twice this year — first by a Manhattan grand jury in connection with the hush-money scheme, and then by a federal grand jury on charges related to allegations that he mishandled classified documents after leaving the White House. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Trump’s campaign It was announced earlier that it will be raised His joint fundraising efforts totaled $35 million in the second quarter. But the full picture of how that money was divided and spent won’t be clear until additional reports are filed later this month.
Trump reported $22.5 million in cash as of June 30, topping the GOP field. In second place, with $21.1 million, was South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott – He transferred large sums of money from his Senate campaign account to his presidential campaign.
Former South Carolina Governor. Nikki Haley More than $6.8 million was banked in July, putting her in the middle of the GOP pack.
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, meanwhile, continues to plow his personal fortune into the race, lending his campaign another $5 million in the second quarter, according to reports. He started July with more than $9 million in cash reserves — money he could easily replenish if he continues to spend more to introduce himself to GOP voters.
President Joe Biden has Announced raising $72 million Along with the Democratic National Committee, it reports its fundraising later in the week. But the total was nearly as much as all the major GOP contenders combined said they collected in their major campaign accounts in the second quarter.
