Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley raised more than $11 million in the six weeks after launching her White House bid in mid-February, her campaign announced on Wednesday.
Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration, finished the first-quarter fundraising period, which ended March 31, with $7.8 million cash on hand and she received more than 70,000 donations, according to her campaign. The Washington Post could not independently verify the numbers, which must be filed with the Federal Election Commission by mid-April. The haul was first reported by Fox News.
Haley’s campaign framed the amount as more than the $9.5 million former president Donald Trump — the front-runner for the nomination — raised in his first quarter since declaring his own reelection bid.
Trump’s campaign said it raised $9.5 million between mid-November and the end of the year, though it reported a much smaller figure to the Federal Election Commission in a January filing — just $3.8 million. Trump raises money through a joint fundraising committee that directs contributions to numerous groups, including his main campaign committee.
But keeping up with Trump in the long run could still prove challenging. Earlier this week, Trump aide Jason Miller said that Trump had raised more than $8 million since the news of his indictment last Thursday. The Trump campaign has not yet released additional fundraising numbers for the first quarter of this year.
The prospect of other Republicans such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former vice president Mike Pence joining the race in coming months could also intensify the competition for campaign funds and donor commitments.
Haley, who served as governor of South Carolina, began the race as an underdog and the first declared candidate challenging Trump, who announced last November. If successful, she would become the first woman and first Asian American to lead the Republican ticket. She previously made history as the country’s first female Asian American governor and the first Indian American to serve in the Cabinet.
Earlier this week, Haley became the first candidate of the 2024 presidential cycle to visit the Southern border during a campaign trip to Texas.
On Sunday, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson announced that he will run for president in 2024, a move that comes after the Republican has marketed himself as a more stable alternative to Trump.
Hutchinson, 72, said he would make a formal announcement on April 26 in Bentonville, Ark., but wanted to clarify his intent ahead of that time.
Isaac Stanley-Becker contributed to this report.