Fundraising Numbers Shed Light on Condition of GOP Presidential Race

The Federal Election Commission has released the fourth-quarter fundraising numbers, which provides a good indication of the strength of the remaining campaigns.

As of this writing, there are eight remaining Republican candidates—although that could soon change—and their current funding levels are all over the place. Then, you have the unique situation brought upon by Donald Trump’s self-funded campaign.

Over on the Democrat side, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are poised for a slugfest with both featuring enormous war chests.

It’s important to note these numbers were effective Jan. 1, and do not reflect any of the campaigns’ fundraising and spending during the final month before the Iowa Republican Caucus. “Burn rates” go up substantially as campaigns push last-minute advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts during that time.

But these numbers still give an overall snapshot of the general health of the campaigns.

Republicans

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has raised $31.9 million, of which $7.1 million was raised in the fourth quarter. He’s spent $24.3 million and about $9.8 million in the fourth quarter, leaving him with nearly $7.6 million in cash on hand.

Dr. Ben Carson has raised a little more than $50 million, of which $22.6 million came in the fourth quarter alone. He’s spent $47.5 million so far, and about $27.3 million in the fourth quarter, leaving him with $6.6 million in cash on hand.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has raised about $7.2 million, including just under $3 million in the fourth quarter. He’s spent about $6 million, and has reported $1.1 million in cash on hand.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has raised $47.1 million, including $20.5 million in the fourth quarter. He’s spent about $28.4 million, though, leaving him with more than $18.7 million in cash on hand.

Carly Fiorina has raised $11.3 million, including $2.9 million in the fourth quarter. Her campaign has spent $6.8 million, $3.9 million of which was disbursed in the fourth quarter, leaving her with $4.5 million in cash on hand.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has raised $7.6 million so far, of which $3.2 million came in the fourth quarter alone. His campaign has spent a little over $5 million, and about $3.3 million in the fourth quarter, leaving him with $2.5 million in cash on hand.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio has raised $29.7 million, of which $14.2 million came in during the fourth quarter. His campaign has spent $22.6 million, including $14.8 million in the fourth quarter, leaving $10.4 million in cash on hand.

Donald Trump continues to self-fund his campaign, meaning his FEC numbers are more or less a direct reflection of his campaign’s spending and anticipated outlays in the month following the reporting deadline. He therefore technically had $6.7 cash on hand on Jan. 1.

Democrats

Hillary Clinton has raised $115.6 million, including $38.1 million in the fourth quarter. Her campaign has spent $77.5 million, including $33.1 million in the fourth quarter, leaving it with $38 million in cash on hand.

Bernie Sanders has raised $75 million, including $33.6 million in the fourth quarter. His campaign has also spent $46.7 million, which includes $32.4 million spent in the fourth quarter, leaving it with $28.3 million in cash on hand.