Scott raises close to $6M in third quarter of fundraising

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) raised close to $6 million in the third quarter of fundraising between his political committees, his campaign announced Sunday.

Scott’s campaign said he raised $5.92 million between the political committees between July and September. He ends the quarter with $13.3 million in the bank, with $11.6 million available for him to use during the primary. 

Scott’s third quarter fundraising showed a high burn rate — his campaign itself brought in about $4.6 million but spent close to $12.4 million, though his campaign benefited from kicking off his presidential run with $22 million in the bank given his past fundraising while serving in the Senate.

The South Carolina senator’s campaign haul this quarter was smaller than that of former President Trump’s, which announced $45 million, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who raised $15 million and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who brought in more than $11 million. 

But Scott has more cash available to use in the primary than DeSantis and Haley. Only $5 million of DeSantis’s haul can be used for the primary, and $9.1 million can be used by Haley’s campaign.

Trump, unsurprisingly, has the most money available to use during the primary — nearly $36 million. The former president continues to dominate in national and early state polling, though some Republicans and donors have started to see it as a two-way race between Haley and DeSantis to take on the mantle of the Trump alternative. 

Members from both campaigns met with the major donor group American Opportunity Alliance on Friday to pitch donors on why they should throw their support behind their respective campaigns.