Mary Lou Masters on October 4, 2023
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday his campaign brought in $15 million during the third fundraising quarter, according to a press release.
DeSantis is the first 2024 GOP presidential candidate who has announced the figures ahead of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing deadline on Oct. 15. The governor raised just over $20 million during his first fundraising quarter as a presidential candidate, and entered this fundraising quarter with $12.2 million cash on hand.
“Anyone that knows Ron DeSantis knows that he is a fighter, a winner, and a leader,” campaign manager James Uthmeier said in a statement. “This significant fundraising haul not only provides us with the resources we need in the fight for Iowa and beyond, but it also shuts down the doubters who counted out Ron DeSantis for far too long. Ron DeSantis is the only candidate with the vision to reverse America’s decline and the track record to prove he will get the job done.”
“Thanks to the generous support of Americans looking for a leader who will deliver results, this campaign is built to last and win. Ron DeSantis is the only candidate in this race who can beat both Donald Trump and Joe Biden, revive our economy, secure the border, make America energy dominant, and end the weaponization of government once and for all,” Uthmeier added.
The DeSantis campaign confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation that only $5 million of this total can be allocated toward the primary.
Never Back Down, the super political action committee supporting DeSantis’ White House bid, reported raising roughly $130 million during the second fundraising quarter, but has yet to announce its totals for this quarter.
The RealClearPolitics average for a 2024 national GOP primary, based on polls conducted between Sept. 15 and Oct. 3, indicates that former President Donald Trump is leading the field with 56.5%, followed by DeSantis at 14.5%, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley at 7.4%, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy at 5.3% and former Vice President Mike Pence at 3.8%. All other 2024 hopefuls received less than 3% support.
