Photo credit: Dave Davidson (Prezography.com)
Four of the 16 candidate are heads and shoulders above the rest of the field in terms of campaign contributions.
Here are the rankings in terms of campaign contributions (Bush leads overall due to Super PAC money raking in over $103 million, but his campaign didn’t raise the most):
- U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) – $14,349,160.55 (announced March 23)
- Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush – $11,429,897.64 (announced June 15)
- Dr. Ben Carson – $10,642,242.10 (announced May 4)
- U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) – $9,794,814.37 (Rubio has the most cash on hand with over $9 million) (announced April 13)
- U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) – $6,932,779.14 (announced April 7)
- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) – $3,709,552.93 (announced June 1)
- Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee – $2,004,462.73 (announced May 5)
- Real estate mogul Donald Trump – $1,902,410.45 (announced June 16) (Over $1.8 million was a self-loan).
- Former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina – $1,704,703.74 (announced May 4)
- Former Texas Governor Rick Perry – $1,139,366.89 (announced June 4)
- Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum – $662,224.14 (announced May 27)
- Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal – $578,758.51 (announced June 24)
Former New York Governor George Pataki (announced May 28) raised $255,794.96 and trails a relative no name candidate former IRS Commissioner Mark Everson who raised over $303,000. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Ohio Governor John Kasich entered the race after the FEC filing deadline.
Adrienne Royer who works for CMDI, a group that specializes in Republican campaign finance and fundraising apps and tools, posted the following graphic that highlights the Republican campaign fundraising leaders by state in the 2016 presidential race.
Some observations:
- U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) currently leads in Wisconsin, but that is likely to change after the next FEC filing. Royer noted that only $58,063 has been given to presidential campaigns in the state. Kasich will probably catch up to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) in Ohio.
- Walker’s future fundraising looks bright. Walker just prevailed in the Koch donor straw poll which is pretty significant. We’ll have to wait to next quarter to see if that translates into campaign cash and Super PAC donations.
- Rubio leads California, Nevada and Arizona and I have to wonder if this indicates movement among Hispanics.
- Bush leads Utah… Romney influence?
- I am surprised, minus Florida, that Bush is doing this well in the south.
- Huckabee, Jindal, Paul, Graham and Bush lead their home states. Perry trails Cruz in Texas. Cruz outraised Perry by approximately $13 million. Santorum doesn’t lead Pennsylvania in fundraising. Cruz leads that state as well. Santorum’s fundraising numbers can’t be encouraging for the 2012 Iowa Caucus winner and GOP nomination runner-up. Former New York Governor George Pataki has only raised $255,794.16.
- Dr. Ben Carson is doing phenomenally well in the Upper Midwest and Mountain West states.
- Donald Trump doesn’t lead any state, but he can self-fund.
Fundraising is obviously just one piece of the equation when it comes to running a successful campaign. Many candidates are experiencing the effects of a crowded field. Candidates who can raise funds can last beyond the early primary states where TV and media will be more essential.