DeSantis campaign touts $20 million six week fundraising haul

July 6, 2023

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign announced Thursday it had raised $20 million in the approximately six weeks since the Republican entered the 2024 White House race.

The DeSantis team crowed the amount was “the largest first-quarter filing from any non-incumbent Republican candidate in more than a decade,” surpassing even Donald Trump’s haul of $18.8 million for his joint fundraising committee in the first quarter of this year.

“We are grateful for the investment so many Americans have made to get this country back on track,” DeSantis campaign manager Generra Peck said in a statement. “The fight to save it will be long and challenging, but we have built an operation to share the governor’s message and mobilize the millions of people who support it. We are ready to win.”

In tandem with the campaign, the Sunshine State supremo’s allies are stockpiling their own financial firepower via super PACs such as Never Back Down, which also announced Thursday it had raised $130 million since launching in March.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. — Between his campaign and allied super PAC, Never Back Down, the Florida governor’s allies claim to have raked in over $150 million since March.

Of that amount, $82.5 million was recently transferred to Never Back Down by a Florida political committee once controlled by DeSantis.

On Wednesday, Trump’s joint fundraising committee, which includes his campaign and the Save America leadership super PAC, announced it had taken in $35 million between April 1 and June 30. DeSantis did not have a full quarter in which to campaign, formally announcing his White House bid on May 24.

DeSantis has proven to be a financial juggernaut, presenting himself to GOP megadonors as the top alternative to Trump.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis walks in an Independence Day parade in Merrimack, NH — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey walk in the July 4th parade in Merrimack, New Hampshire.

His campaign argued Thursday the fundraising spree reflects a “growing enthusiasm” for the Florida governor, currently a distant second in the polls to the 45th president.

“Joe Biden’s leftist policies are destroying the country, and Republicans are excited to invest in a winner ready to lead America’s revival,” Peck said.

Official figures from campaign filings to the Federal Election Commission are expected to become available within the coming weeks.