AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall Republican presidential candidate former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen arrives to speak at a campaign event, Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in Ankeny, Iowa.
By The Indiana Capital Chronicle
WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Mike Pence’s presidential campaign and super PAC raised just $3.85 million combined in the second quarter of this year — far below the debut fundraising numbers from other 2024 competitors.
Pence, a Columbus native who served as former Indiana governor, entered the 2024 GOP primary in early June with just three weeks until the end of the fundraising quarter. His campaign raised just over $1.1 million in that time, while his Committed to America super PAC raised about $2.6 million, according to his federal filing.
“I’ve been very humbled to see our support around the country growing since we announced here in Iowa just about a month ago,” Pence said in a statement on the second quarter numbers, which also encouraged potential donors to give a dollar to his campaign. “We’re reaching out to people all across the country who share our vision, our conservative values.”
Despite Pence’s positivity, the numbers raise questions about the former vice president’s overall path to the nomination and his ability to reach the donor threshold to qualify for the first GOP debate.
The Pence campaign did not say how many donors contributed during the second quarter, leaving it uncertain whether he will hit the Republican National Committee’s 40,000-donor threshold needed to qualify for the opening debate in August.
Former President Donald Trump, on the other hand, raised $35 million in the second quarter. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis raised $20 million in the six weeks after his campaign launch.
The Indiana Capital Chronicle covers state government and the state legislature. For more, visit indianacapitalchronicle.com.
