DeSantis is the early king of Florida campaign cash. See where he’s outpacing Trump

Ron DeSantis is the king of Florida fundraising — at least for now.

Although polls show the state’s voters prefer former President Donald Trump at the ballot box over his two in-state rivals in DeSantis and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, it’s the state’s governor who raised the most money from Sunshine State residents during the last fundraising quarter, according to analysis of documents filed over the weekend with the Federal Election Commission.

DeSantis easily bested Trump and Suarez, collecting $6.8 million from Florida residents since entering the GOP presidential primary May 24th. Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago residence is in Palm Beach, raised $1.5 million from within the state since the start of April, the analysis showed. Suarez collected about $700,000 since becoming a presidential candidate on June 14th.

For now, support in the Sunshine State is more about bragging rights than a central part of any candidate’s electoral strategy, although Florida’s March 19 primary could emerge as pivotal if the GOP primary remains competitive until then.

The fundraising data analysis includes only larger contributions of $200 or more, which requires donors to identify themselves to the FEC. The analysis encompasses reports filed by the candidates’ campaign committees, which serve as their primary accounts. Most candidates employ a multi-pronged fundraising approach — including receiving support from groups that have unlimited raising and spending abilities, like super PACs, which don’t have to file financial reports until the end of the month.

Overall, of Desantis’ nearly $17 million in itemized donations, more than 40% came from Florida residents, an indication of how much his campaign relies on his popularity and influence within his home state.

Suarez actually had a higher share of his itemized contributions, 76%, come from Florida residents. The mayor raised $694,000 from within the state out of the $916,000 he raised overall.

Of the three Florida candidates, Suarez has by far the smallest national profile and even in Florida is lesser-known than either DeSantis or Trump. The vast bulk of Suarez’s fundraising, FEC documents show, came from South Florida.

DeSantis’ dominance within the Florida fundraising circuit isn’t a surprise: Veteran political strategists say a sitting governor has an inherent advantage when raising money within their own state, aided by lobbyists and other top donors who are wary of angering the incumbent while he still runs state government. The former congressman is also immensely popular within the state’s conservative community, which hails his record as governor.

But DeSantis’ edge in Florida hasn’t quelled larger concerns about the state of his campaign’s finances, which came under scrutiny after he filed documents with the FEC on Saturday that showed him spending nearly half — $8 million — of the $20 million he raised during the first five weeks of his campaign.

A campaign aide confirmed Sunday that it had laid off nearly 10 staffers last week as it sought to reduce expenses. (The staff reductions were first reported by Politico.) Staff reductions are a worrying sign for any candidate, particularly this early in the race and for a campaign once expected to be a financial juggernaut.

DeSantis officials maintain the campaign is focused on building an effort that can build support for the governor from now until the start of next year’s primary.

“Americans are rallying behind Ron DeSantis and his plan to reverse Joe Biden’s failures and restore sanity to our nation, and his momentum will only continue as voters see more of him in-person, especially in Iowa,” said campaign spokesman Andrew Romeo. “Defeating Joe Biden and the $72 million behind him will require a nimble and candidate driven campaign, and we are building a movement to go the distance.”

DeSantis did manage to outraise even Suarez in Miami-Dade county, according to the analysis of FEC data, collecting nearly $760,000 from the area compared to the $625,000 Suarez raised from his home turf.

Trump raised $120,000 from Miami-Dade county residents.

This story was originally published July 16, 2023 at 4:59 PM.