Former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley announced on Monday that she raised more than $11 million in the third quarter of 2023, boosting her campaign coffers as she seeks to challenge former President Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries.
Haley’s fundraising haul puts her in a competitive position with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who raised $12.5 million in the same period and has $13.6 million cash on hand. Both candidates are trailing Trump, who reported raising $56 million in the third quarter and has $102 million cash on hand.
Haley, who served as governor of South Carolina before joining the Trump administration, has been trying to position herself as a strong alternative to Trump, who remains the dominant figure in the GOP and the clear frontrunner in most polls. Haley has criticized Trump for his role in inciting the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, and for his false claims of election fraud. She has also highlighted her foreign policy experience and her record as a conservative reformer in South Carolina.
DeSantis, meanwhile, has been touting his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida, where he resisted lockdowns and mask mandates and promoted vaccine distribution. He has also championed conservative causes such as banning critical race theory in schools, cracking down on illegal immigration, and protecting free speech. DeSantis has been a loyal ally of Trump, who endorsed him for governor in 2018 and has praised him as a potential successor.
Both Haley and DeSantis have been campaigning aggressively in early voting states such as Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada, hoping to gain momentum and support from grassroots activists and donors. They have also been trading jabs with each other and with Trump, who has dismissed them as weak and ungrateful.
The Republican presidential field is expected to grow in the coming months, as other potential candidates such as former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem weigh their options. However, many observers believe that the race will ultimately come down to a three-way contest between Trump, Haley, and DeSantis.
The first nominating contest will be the Iowa caucuses on February 5, 2024, followed by the New Hampshire primary on February 13, 2024. The South Carolina primary will be on February 24, 2024, and the Nevada caucuses will be on March 2, 2024. The first Super Tuesday will be on March 5, 2024, when 14 states will hold their primaries or caucuses.
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