Donald Trump is dominating GOP primary fundraising as the White House race barrels toward the first nominating contests of 2024, with the former president raising donations at an accelerating pace and building the financial cushion to swamp his rivals on the airwaves and on the ground.
The $24.5 million that poured into Trump’s main campaign account from July to September during the third quarter of the year amounts to more than double the amount collected by the campaign of his closest rival in fundraising, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. And Trump’s haul marked a surge from the $17.7 million his campaign took in during the previous quarter.
New filings Sunday with federal election regulators also highlight the growing chasm between Trump and everyone else seeking the nomination. Prominent Republicans – including Trump’s onetime running mate, former Vice President Mike Pence – are trailing far behind the field as they struggle for attention and money from voters and donors alike.
And the reports show DeSantis and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, two of Trump’s rivals who have sought to win over the GOP’s deep-pocketed donors, burning through political donations just as the battle for the GOP presidential nomination heats up.
Here are nine takeaways from the new filings and what they say about the fights for the White House and Congress:
DeSantis and Scott spend big
DeSantis took in a little more than $11 million through his main campaign account during the third quarter and spent almost all of it. His campaign spending and high burn rate have been the subject of intense scrutiny as he tries to persuade wealthy GOP donors that he is the viable alternative to Trump.
Payroll topped the DeSantis campaign’s expenses, at more than $1.2 million, though the report showed campaign staff size shrinking to about 60 people by the final…
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