Pence acknowledges ‘uphill climb’ in presidential campaign

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday acknowledged he has faced an “uphill climb” in his campaign for the 2024 GOP nomination but argued he is the most experienced and tested candidate in the primary field.

Pence spoke with Steve Scully on SiriusXM on Friday with his campaign facing a money crunch and amid reports that there have been staffing cuts.

“Other campaigns have a little bit more money than us, but no one’s got more enthusiasm and no one’s got more experience, so that’s the message we’re going to continue to carry all across the country in the days ahead,” Pence told Scully in the interview, which was shared first with The Hill.

Asked about reports that his campaign may not have the resources needed to make it through the early primary states, Pence urged those who “want to see the most tested and the most experienced conservative in the race” to donate to his cause.

“The truth is for me it’s always been an uphill climb,” Pence said, explaining that he felt a duty to enter the 2024 race when weighing the challenges facing the country and his years of experience as a congressman, a governor and a vice president.

“I looked at all of that experience and concluded we just couldn’t sit this one out,” Pence said.

The Pence campaign announced last weekend that it raised $3.3 million during the third quarter of the year, lagging far behind front-runner Donald Trump and other candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). The Pence campaign has also accrued $620,000 in debt, and the former vice president has given $150,000 to the campaign from his personal funds.

The Washington Post reported that the campaign has made staffing cuts amid the cash crunch, and it faces questions about its path forward in the primary. A Pence campaign aide declined to comment on reports of staffing cuts.

Pence qualified for the first two GOP primary debates, and he signaled he has met the polling threshold required to make the stage for the next debate, scheduled for Nov. 8 in Miami. But the Republican National Committee (RNC) has stipulated candidates must have 70,000 individual donors to qualify for that contest, a criteria only a few candidates have met so far.

“We’re working hard to be there,” Pence said Friday.

“I believe with all humility that I’m the most qualified, the most experienced, the most tested conservative in this race,” he added.