GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley raised $24 million between October and December, her campaign announced on Jan. 3.
The former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations got 83,900 new donors in the fourth quarter—close to the number of fresh donors the campaign brought in between July and September, according to the campaign.
Ms. Haley’s campaign raised $16.25 million through mail and digital grassroots initiatives, it said.
She has $14.5 million cash on hand, according to the campaign.
Ms. Haley has launched a campaign blitz over the past couple of months with ads ahead of the Jan. 15 Iowa Caucus and the Jan. 23 New Hampshire Primary.
Since she started her campaign in February, Ms. Haley has garnered $50 million from 180,000 donors through her fundraising arms: Nikki Haley for President Inc., SFA Fund Inc., and Stand for America PAC.
“This is a two-person race between Nikki Haley and Donald Trump,” said Haley campaign manager Betsy Ankney in a statement.
“Nikki is the only Trump alternative with the voter support, the operation, and the resources to go the distance,” she continued. “Our momentum continues to build as we head into 2024.”
Polls show Ms. Haley in second in New Hampshire and a close third in Iowa.
The latest fundraising number comes on the heels of Ms. Haley picking up major endorsements of New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who is popular in The Granite State, and Americans for Prosperity Action, which is backed by billionaire and Trump critic Charles Koch—marking the first time the largest conservative grassroots organization in the United States has waded into a presidential election.
However, Ms. Haley made a couple of errors last week.
When asked during a Dec. 27 town hall in New Hampshire what was the cause of the Civil War, Ms. Haley declined to answer that it was slavery, opting instead to focus on the role of government and individual freedoms.
Ms. Haley’s response appeared to sidestep that slavery played a central role in triggering the conflict.
“I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run—the freedoms and what people could and couldn’t do,” Ms. Haley said to begin her response, before asking the voter what he thought the cause of the war was.
Pressing Ms. Haley for a response, the voter said he wasn’t running for president.
Elaborating on her response, Ms. Haley emphasized the role of government and individual freedoms.
“It always comes down to the role of government and what the rights of the people are,” Ms. Haley said.
“I will always stand by the fact that I think government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people. It was never meant to be all things to all people. Government doesn’t need to tell you how to live your life.”
Throughout her response, Ms. Haley advocated for limited government interference, capitalism, and economic freedom. She stressed the need for a society where individuals have the freedom to express themselves, practice their religion, and pursue their aspirations without government intervention.
“We need to have capitalism. We need to have economic freedom. We need to make sure that we do all things so that individuals have the liberties so that they can have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to do or be anything they want to be without government getting in the way,” Ms. Haley declared.
The following day, Ms. Haley clarified her comments.
“Of course, the Civil War was about slavery. We know that. That’s the easy part of it,“ Ms. Haley told a New Hampshire radio show. ”What I was saying was: What does it mean to us today? What it means to us today is about freedom. That’s what that was all about.”
During a town hall in New Hampshire on Dec. 28, Ms. Haley again said that slavery was what led to the war between the Union and the Confederacy.
“Of course, the Civil War was about slavery. We know that. That’s unquestioned,” she said.
“We always want to remember the lesson of what it means to be a free individual, and that everyone deserves to be a free individual,” Ms. Haley said.
“So we stand by that. I say that as a Southerner, I say that as a Southern governor who removed the Confederate flag off the Statehouse grounds, and I say that as a proud American.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis slammed Ms. Haley’s fundraising numbers as a result of big-money, not grassroots, donations.
“I think it’s pretty clear. I mean, you know, she has been able to get massive funding from liberal Democrats even in places like California, liberal Wall Street executives,” he told reporters in Iowa on Jan. 3.
“They’ve been raising huge money for her there. They’re not doing that because they think she’s gonna be a change agent,” continued Mr. DeSantis. ”They’re doing that because they know that she’s somebody that they would be able to control. And so my view is to do what’s right. Don’t try to chase what donors are wanting to do.”
Ms. Haley has earned support from wealthy individuals including JP Morgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon and endorsements from such people including Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone.
