Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ push for the presidency raised a combined $15 million between July 1 and Sept. 30.
“Ron DeSantis shattered expectations,” his campaign stated in a press release. It also clarified that the total number was a combination of his campaign committee, leadership PAC, and his joint fundraising committee.
“Anyone that knows Ron DeSantis knows that he is a fighter, a winner, and a leader,” said campaign manager James Uthmeier. “This significant fundraising haul not only provides us with the resources we need in the fight for Iowa and beyond, but it also shuts down the doubters who counted out Ron DeSantis for far too long.”
Mr. DeSantis is the only candidate that has the track record to prove he will reverse America’s decline, said Mr. Uthmeier. He is also the only one who can beat both President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.
The governor officially started his bid for the Republican Party nomination in late May, and his campaign went on to acquire $20 million in the last six weeks of the second quarter.
Since June 30, Mr. DeSantis has participated in—and was chosen by many as having won—the first two GOP presidential debates. He also unveiled what would be his economic and energy policies and emphasized his staunch positions on immigration and relations with communist China.
He also continues to cover ground in Iowa, set to have visited 74 of its 99 counties by Monday, Oct. 11, with his PAC “Never Back Down.” And his campaign now looks to move one-third of its staff to the Hawkeye State as the last 100 days before the first-in-the-nation caucus gets closer and closer.
“We are now in a position to double-down on those efforts by bringing more of our team to Iowa to support the governor as he makes his final push towards victory,” said Deputy Campaign Manager David Polyansky.
“Donald Trump’s own actions confirm this is a two-man race,“ said the campaign’s communications director, Andrew Romeo. ”After spending months neglecting Iowa, the Trump campaign is now scrambling because they know Ron DeSantis is all that stands between them and victory in the Hawkeye State and beyond.”
For comparison, President Trump raised $14.5 million in the second quarter of his 2024 presidential campaign. He still holds a commanding lead in the polls, sitting more than 40 percentage points over Mr. DeSantis, whose own numbers appeared to have suffered over the summer.
But his campaign is looking to this as a sign that a “comeback” is on.
“Thanks to the generous support of Americans looking for a leader who will deliver results, this campaign is built to last and win,” said Mr. Uthmeier.
Mr. DeSantis began a South Carolina bus tour with his PAC “Never Back Down” on Wednesday, Oct. 4, and he is set to attend a campaign event in Tampa, Fla., on Oct. 5.
Looking ahead, he is also expected to attend the Florida Freedom Summit in Kissimmee, Fla., on November 4, and qualify for the third GOP Debate in Miami on Nov. 8.
