Politics
DeSantis spent $160M in just 2 months on presidential bid
By Jake Beardslee · February 2, 2024
DeSantis spent $160M in just 2 months on presidential bid
Ron DeSantis dropped out of the Republican presidential race after just one contest — but not before his campaign and supporters blew through $160 million. Some of the big ticket spending in one of the most expensive GOP campaigns in history included millions on everything from luxury travel to security to political strategy to fundraising and communications. Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America/Wikimedia
DeSantis spent $160M in just 2 months on presidential bid
The official DeSantis campaign spent around $28 million overall, while the Never Back Down PAC contributed another $130 million in support, amounting to more than $160 million combined. Office of the Governor of Florida/Wikimedia
DeSantis spent $160M in just 2 months on presidential bid
In the Iowa caucuses held in January 2024, Florida governor Ron DeSantis placed second behind former President Donald Trump. DeSantis received around 23,000 votes, which was 21 percentage points less than Trump's 51% share and over 56,000 votes. Prior to the caucuses, DeSantis had spent approximately $35 million on advertising in Iowa alone. According to ad tracking firm AdImpact, DeSantis spent about $1,500 in ad spending for each vote he received in Iowa. Tom Williams/Wikimedia
DeSantis spent $160M in just 2 months on presidential bid
Just a few days before the New Hampshire primary, DeSantis withdrew from the 2024 presidential race and threw his support behind Trump. DeSantis had spent about $8 million campaigning in New Hampshire but ultimately concluded he didn't have a viable path to win the nomination. His withdrawal follows a pattern of Republican candidates entering the presidential primaries with high hopes and substantial financial backing, only to falter badly when facing Trump. Like others before him, DeSantis found that early hype and fundraising could not overcome Trump's hold on the GOP base. Tom Williams/Wikimedia
DeSantis spent $160M in just 2 months on presidential bid
In 2016, Jeb Bush and his supporting super PAC spent around $150 million on his presidential campaign before he suspended his bid after poor results in the South Carolina primary. Bush managed to compete in several contests before dropping out. Senator Tim Scott also pursued the Republican nomination that year. Before ending his campaign in November and backing Trump, Scott's campaign spent over $30 million and a super PAC supporting him spent more than $21 million. Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia
DeSantis spent $160M in just 2 months on presidential bid
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum loaned his presidential campaign close to $15 million over the roughly six months he was in the race in 2016. Despite spending nearly $17 million, Burgum polled at less than 1% on average before dropping out. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy also pursued the Republican nomination that year. FEC filings show Ramaswamy loaned his unsuccessful campaign over $23.7 million. In total, his campaign spent around $35 million before ending. Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America/Wikimedia
DeSantis spent $160M in just 2 months on presidential bid
The Republican presidential primary, which began with many candidates, is now mainly a contest between Donald Trump and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as the South Carolina primary on February 24 approaches. Haley's campaign raised $17 million in the last three months of 2023 and had over $14 million available cash at the end of the year. Glenn Youngkin/Wikimedia
DeSantis spent $160M in just 2 months on presidential bid
An external political action committee supporting Haley's presidential campaign raised over $50 million in the latter half of 2023. However, this fundraising haul may not affect the outcome, as Trump continues gaining momentum toward winning the Republican nomination after victories in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. Renee Ittner-McManus/Wikimedia