As per a recent federal disclosure, former Vice President Mike Pence’s 2024 campaign is grappling with a debt surpassing $600,000. This financial setback emerges when Pence’s presidential aspirations for 2024 appear to be waning.
Records from the Federal Election Commission detail that Pence’s third-quarter campaign is $621,000 in the red. Despite this, he still has a reserve of $1.1 million and managed to fundraise approximately $3.3 million during the same period. Furthermore, Pence contributed $150,000 from his personal funds to his campaign. When confronted about his campaign’s monetary status in New Hampshire, Pence vaguely indicated a need to be judicious about funding allocations, implying a tighter budget.
Addressing the evident disparity in funds compared to some competitors, Pence remarked to the Washington Post, “It may be obvious in the days ahead that other campaigns have more money than ours,” and “But it’s not about money, it’s about votes.”
In stark contrast, the campaign for former President Donald Trump boasts a formidable $36 million in its coffers, as conveyed by his campaign team to multiple media sources. Entrepreneur and GOP contender Vivek Ramaswamy impressively garnered over $7.4 million in the third quarter alone.
Comparatively, other 2024 Republican hopefuls like Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis, ex-U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) have demonstrated stronger financial positions. Specifically, DeSantis has $5 million, Haley possesses $9.1 million, and Scott holds $13 million.
Pence remains undeterred. He shared with journalists his ongoing efforts to gather sufficient small-dollar contributions to qualify for the third Republican debate, set to be broadcast by NBC in November. Eligibility criteria require candidates to achieve a 4% threshold in multiple surveys and obtain donations from at least 70,000 individual contributors.
However, poll aggregates from RealClearPolitics depict Trump as the clear leader, securing 58.3% support. Following him are DeSantis at 12.9%, Haley at 7.6%, Ramaswamy at 6.2%, and Pence trailing at 3.7%. Another survey from Morning Consult reinforced Trump’s dominance, showing him with 61% primary backing.
Despite these statistics and his campaign’s financial challenges, Pence exudes optimism. “I hope you can pick it up in my voice: I’m very excited about the future. I’m very optimistic about the future,” he confidently shared with Politico.
Interestingly, the former president, citing his strong polling, skipped the initial two debates hosted by Fox News. His campaign even proposed that the GOP debates be abandoned entirely. Instead, Trum’s campaign argues that the Republican National Committee should concentrate on the bigger picture: ensuring a Republican victory in 2024.
The Israel-Hamas conflict appears to be a central topic for the upcoming third debate. The RNC recently revealed its collaboration with the Jewish Republican organization, emphasizing the pivotal role of American foreign policy. This debate, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel believes, will enable the GOP candidates to highlight their distinct strategies and visions, especially juxtaposed against the perceived missteps of the Biden administration.
Of the eight participants in the initial debate on August 23, only seven qualified for the subsequent debate on September 27. Information regarding the contenders for the third debate remains under wraps by NBC and the RNC.