Former Vice President Mike Pence was among a number of Republican presidential candidates who failed to make a splash with the announcement of his second-quarter fundraising totals, raising the question of whether he will participate in the first GOP debate next time. that month.
Since launching a campaign for the White House on June 7, Pence has raised just $1.2 million, his campaign told the Washington Post.
Including the $2.6 million reported to have been raised by Committed to America, a super PAC supporting Pence’s candidacy in the race, the former Indiana governor’s second quarter total came to about $3.8 million.
The total raised by the Republican presidential hopeful – who faces an uphill battle to serve as the nation’s commander in chief – puts Pence on the low end in fundraising, compared to his GOP challengers, prompting concern from to Pence’s supporters.
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Former Vice President Mike Pence, since launching his campaign for the White House on June 7, has raised just $1.2 million. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Former President Donald Trump – who has dominated the Republican race for president thus far – raised more than $35 million in the April-June second quarter of 2023 fundraising, 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 quarter of fundraising.
Second to Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis 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 raised $130 million in fundraising since the committee launched in early March.
Former South Carolina Gov. to Nikki Haley The Republican presidential campaign and two aligned political committees brought in $7.3 million in the April-June second quarter of 2023 fundraising, according to FEC reports.
The presidential campaign of North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum reported raising $11.7 million in the 23 days from June 7 — when the governor declared his candidacy for president — through the end of the month, marking the close of the April-June second quarter of 2023 fundraising. That figure, first shared with Fox News on Friday, includes a $10.2 million personal investment from Burgum.
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From left to right, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former Vice President Mike Pence. (Getty Images)
The lackluster fundraising total also raised doubts about Pence’s eligibility to compete in next month’s first presidential debate.
The first Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 cycle – hosted by Fox News and scheduled to take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on August 23 – has a list of requirements from the Republican National Committee that candidates must meet to take the stage .
To reach the state debate, 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 20+ states and/or territory.” The RNC says candidates must present their fundraising numbers at least 48 hours before the first debate.
A campaign aide told the New York Times on Friday that Pence, 64, fell short of the 40,000 individual donors required.
Former Vice President Mike Pence walks with Karen Pence at the Urbandale 4th of July Celebration in 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 donate at least $1, with a limit of one per person.
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To make the stage, candidates must also reach 1% in three national polls, or 1% in two national polls and 1% in one poll conducted in one of the four early voting states on the presidential nominating calendar. of the GOP – Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
