Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis are dominating the fight for campaign cash in the Republican presidential contest, according to federal filings made public Saturday. While some struggled, like former Vice President Mike Pence, others reported significant hauls that help ensure the GOP’s 2024 primary will be crowded for the foreseeable future. On the Democratic side, President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign has quickly amassed a sizeable fortune. But longshot Democratic primary opponent Robert Kennedy Jr. also raised enough to ensure he won’t be ignored. Overall, the 2024 presidential class’s second-quarter filings with the Federal Election Commission, covering the period between April 1 and June 30, leave unanswered several questions. For example, the total numbers of individual donors for each campaign, a figure tied directly to GOP debate participation, won’t be known until the end of the month. And each candidate’s allied super PACs, which in some cases account for the majority of their campaign’s cash, won’t file latest figures until the end of the month. Still, the federal reports offer several insights six months before the first primary votes are cast. Here are some key takeaways: TRUMP AND DESANTIS IN A TIER OF THEIR OWN While Trump is leading most polls, he and DeSantis are in a tier of their own on the fundraising front. Trump’s team recently confirmed that his joint fundraising operation — which splits money between Trump’s campaign and the Save America PAC — received $35 million in the second quarter. The campaign did not say how much of that $35 million went to the campaign and how much went to Save America, which has covered non-campaign related expenses in the past, including Trump’s legal bills. The average donation to Trump’s 2024 campaign now stands at $34, evidence, the campaign said, of his grassroots backing. Earlier in the week, DeSantis announced raising $20 million for the six weeks he was in the race. The Florida governor’s allied super PAC, which is legally barred from coordinating with the campaign, said it raised a stunning $130 million since the committee launched in March. More than half of that came from a state-level political committee once controlled by DeSantis. Regardless of where it came from, DeSantis’ fundraising will buy him some time to strengthen his candidacy as he struggles to catch Trump in the polls. DEBATE IMPLICATIONS The fundraising numbers carry additional significance because they are tied directly to the GOP’s first presidential debate next month. Beyond a 1% polling threshold, the Republican National Committee has announced that candidates must have a minimum of 40,000 unique donors with at least 200 unique donors per state or territory, in 20 states and territories. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy announced in recent days they had reached the 40,000 donor threshold. Pence has yet to make such an announcement. Saturday’s federal filings do not provide a complete accounting of such figures, which won’t be available until the end of the month. Overall, Haley’s campaign raised $7.3 million in the second quarter and ended June with $9.3 million in the bank. That’s as the main pro-Haley super PAC claimed $17 million cash on hand. Scott raised $6.1 million since announcing his campaign in May. And Ramaswamy, a 37-year-old entrepreneur, raised […]

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