Mary Lou Masters on February 1, 2024 (Daily Caller News Foundation)
Presidential candidates end-of-year financial reports released Wednesday reveal which remaining campaigns have staying-power through the November general election.
Joe Biden’s reelection campaign brought in the most during the fourth quarter of 2023, followed by former President Donald Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s respective White House bids, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings. The president also entered the election year with the most cash on hand, while Trump racked up the most spending during the period.
Trump brought in $19.1 million during the fourth fundraising quarter, but disbursed $23.6 million, according to the FEC filing. The former president’s campaign had over $33 million on hand entering the new year.
“President Trump’s campaign is fueled by small dollar donors across the country from every background who are sick and tired of Crooked Joe Biden’s record-high inflation, wide open border, crime and chaos,” Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. “President Trump continues to dominate Biden in every single battleground poll, and we are more confident than ever that he will take back the White House in November.”
MAGA Inc., the main Trump-aligned super political action committee (PAC), reported raising $47.8 million in the second half of 2023, and ended the year with $23.3 million in the bank. The super PAC also spent $55.4 million during the time period.
Haley’s campaign raised $17.3 million in the last quarter of 2023, and reported spending $14.3 million. The former ambassador ended the year with $14.6 million in hard dollars.
“If you put in a factory order for the worst general election candidate ever, you couldn’t dream up a weaker option than Donald Trump,” Nachama Soloveichik, communications director for Haley’s campaign, said in a statement. “From his legal drama and expenses to his growing confusion and temper tantrums, Republicans are begging for an electoral wipe out with Trump on the ticket.”
SFA Fund Inc., the super PAC supporting Haley’s presidential bid, brought in $50.2 million during the latter half of 2023, and spent $63.7 million during the same period, according to the FEC filing. The super PAC ended the year with just $3.5 million in the bank.
Trump won a majority of the vote in the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary on Jan. 15 and Jan. 23, respectively. Haley came in third place behind Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Iowa, and received 43.2% support in New Hampshire against the former president.
The former ambassador isn’t competing for delegates in Nevada on Feb. 8, but is hoping for a big turn out in her home state of South Carolina on Feb. 24. Trump is currently leading Haley by 27 points in the RealClearPolitics (RCP) average for the Palmetto State.
Biden’s reelection bid raked in $33 million during the fourth quarter, and ended the period with roughly $46 million cash on hand, according to the FEC filing. The president’s campaign also disbursed $19.3 million.
The super PAC supporting Biden’s campaign, Future Forward, reported raising $25.2 million between July and December 2023, and only spent $1.4 million during the time frame. The super PAC had roughly $24 million in the bank entering the election year.
Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota raised $5 million since launching his campaign in late October, according to the FEC filing. The congressman’s presidential bid spent $4.7 million during the time period, and ended 2023 with only $360,000 cash on hand.
A super PAC boosting Phillips’ campaign, We Deserve Better, Inc., brought in $1.6 million during the reporting period, and spent less than $440,00, according to the FEC filing. The super PAC, which was only formed on Dec. 1, had $1.2 million on hand by the end of 2023.
Self-help author Marianne Williamson reported raising $1.3 million in the fourth quarter and disbursing $1.2 million. The Democrat entered the election year with roughly $208,900 in hard dollars.
While Biden wasn’t on the ballot in New Hampshire, he secured a win as a write-in candidate with roughly 64% support. Phillips received a significant 19.6%, and Williamson notched 8.3%.
The president maintains a large lead over the small field of Democratic hopefuls in the RCP average with over 70% support, followed by Williamson at 6.5% and Phillips at 4%.
Trump is currently leading Biden in the RCP average for a potential general election rematch by 1.7 points, and has already beaten the president in over 100 polls this cycle. The former president is also advantaged in crucial battleground states like Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and North Carolina.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who initially ran as a Democrat but switched his candidacy to independent in early October, raised $7 million in the final quarter of 2023, according to the FEC filing. Kennedy spent $7.8 million during the time period, and entered 2024 with $5.4 million cash on hand.
American Values 2024, the super PAC supporting Kennedy’s campaign, reported raising a total of $18.5 million between July and December 2023, and disbursed $13.4 million. The super PAC ended 2023 with $14.8 million in hard dollars.
Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who launched her third presidential bid in early November, brought in roughly $119,600 and spent $76,100 in the fourth quarter, according to the FEC filing. Stein ended the year with less than $44,000 cash on hand.
The fourth quarter filing report for Cornel West, who switched his candidacy from independent to the “Justice for All Party” on Wednesday, is not yet available, according to FEC data. The candidate first sought the People’s Party nomination before running as a Green Party candidate, and later became an independent.
