Former Vice President Mike Pence was among a handful of Republican presidential candidates who didn’t make a splash by announcing their second-quarter fundraising totals, casting doubt on whether he’ll be able to participate in the first debate of the GOP next month.
Since launching a campaign for the White House on June 7, Pence has raised just $1.2 million, according to his campaign.
Combined with the $2.6 million allegedly raised by Committed to America, a super PAC backing Pence’s bid for the race, the former Indiana governor’s second-quarter total comes to roughly $3.8 million of dollars
The total raised by the Republican presidential hopeful, who faces an uphill battle to serve as the nation’s commander-in-chief, puts Pence at the bottom of the fundraising bracket compared to his GOP rivals , raising concerns among Pence supporters.
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Former Vice President Mike Pence, since launching a campaign for the White House on June 7, has raised just $1.2 million. (Drew Anger/Getty Images)
Former President Donald Trump, who has so far dominated the Republican presidential race, raised more than $35 million in fundraising for the second quarter of April-June 2023, the Trump campaign confirmed to Fox News last week. That’s nearly double the $18.8 million Trump’s campaign brought in during the January-March first fundraising quarter.
After Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has brought in an impressive $20 million in fundraising in the first six weeks of his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, his political team told Fox News last week. Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting the Florida governor’s presidential run, also told Fox News it has amassed $130 million in fundraising since the committee launched in early March.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s Republican presidential campaign and two aligned political committees contributed $7.3 million during the second quarter of April-June 2023 fundraising, according to FEC reports . Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie reported taking in $7.5 million in the first 25 days after his campaign launched in June.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s presidential campaign reported raising $11.7 million in the 23 days from June 7, when the governor declared his bid for president, through the end of the month, which mark the close of fundraising for the second quarter of April-June 2023. . That figure, first shared with Fox News on Friday, included a personal investment of $10.2 million from Burgum.
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From left to right, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence. (Getty Images)
The lackluster fundraising total also casts doubt on Pence’s eligibility to compete in the first presidential debate next month.
The first Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 cycle, which will be presented by Fox News and is scheduled to be held in Milwaukee, Wis., on August 23, has a list of requirements from the Republican National Committee that must be met by candidates to take the stage.
To reach debate status, a candidate must have 40,000 unique donors to their campaign committee (or exploratory committee), with “at least 200 unique donors per state or territory in more than 20 states and/or territories.” The RNC says candidates must submit their fundraising numbers at least 48 hours before the first debate.
A campaign aide told the New York Times on Friday that Pence, 64, has not reached the required 40,000 individual donors.
Former Vice President Mike Pence walks alongside Karen Pence at the Fourth of July celebration in Urbandale, Iowa on July 4, 2023. (Mike Pence 2024 Presidential Campaign)
In an effort to reach the 40,000 threshold, a WinRed site supported by Burgum’s campaign is offering donors a $20 gift card if they give at least $1, with a limit of one per person.
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To get on the stage, candidates must also reach 1% in three national polls, or 1% in two national polls and 1% in a poll conducted in one of the four early voting states of schedule of GOP presidential nominations: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
