Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has reported raising an impressive $7.4 million during the third quarter of 2023, according to his campaign. This includes a generous $1 million contribution made by the biotech multimillionaire himself. With this funding, Ramaswamy now has over 130,000 unique donors, surpassing the requirement of 70,000 for entry into the third debate.
The campaign further reveals that Ramaswamy received over 143,000 individual donations from more than 78,000 unique donors, with an average contribution of $38 in the past three months. This marks a substantial 198% increase in gross raised and a 121% increase in the number of donations compared to the second quarter. Notably, nearly 40% of these donors are first-time Republican donors, setting Ramaswamy apart from other candidates who struggle to attract new supporters.
Ramaswamy’s fundraising success comes after his notable performances in the first two Republican debates, where he made a strong impression on millions of voters. Despite being a major target for his GOP rivals on the debate stage, Ramaswamy’s numbers have outperformed those of fellow candidates, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who reported raising $15 million, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who raised $11 million. However, all four candidates fall short in comparison to the impressive $45.5 million raised by former President Trump’s campaign during the same period.
With his total unique donor count surpassing 130,000, Ramaswamy has already met the Republican National Committee’s polling and donor requirements for the upcoming third primary debate scheduled for November 8 in Miami.
In recent days, Ramaswamy has focused on border security as a significant issue, particularly following the terrorist attacks against Israel by Hamas. As a political outsider, he has visited both Eagle Pass, Texas, and the New Hampshire-Canadian border to address vulnerabilities and highlight the importance of border security.
Additionally, Ramaswamy has hinted at a potential debate with Democratic California Congressman Ro Khanna, following the announcement of DeSantis’ upcoming showdown with Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom, to be moderated by FOX News’ Sean Hannity.
The latest FOX News poll indicates that Ramaswamy currently holds 7% support among GOP voters, placing him fourth behind Haley at 10%, DeSantis at 13%, and Trump, who maintains a commanding lead at 59%.
For more updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews, and other political content, visit our digital election hub.
Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected], and you can follow him on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn. Stay subscribed to this newsletter for the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail.
