Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio raised roughly $6m in the third quarter of this year, campaign officials told top donors at a Las Vegas retreat on Thursday. While numbers are not yet final, the Florida senator will start the next fundraising quarter with about $11m cash on hand.
A source who attended the gathering and requested anonymity confirmed the details to the Guardian, where campaign officials acknowledged that Rubio’s fundraising was slow over the summer – citing as factors the entry into the race of Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and other candidates in July.
The campaign emphasised a strong uptick in September and October, and Rubio has been viewed as the biggest benefactor of Walker’s early exit from the presidential contest last month. October is expected to be Rubio’s best month yet, and the Florida senator raised $1m online alone in September, the source said.
Most Republican campaigns have yet to release their fundraising totals for the third quarter, although retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson raised about $20m. Texas senator Ted Cruz, who like Carson enjoys broad support among grassroots conservatives, raised $12.2m, his campaign said on Thursday.
Kentucky senator Rand Paul reportedly raised just $2.5m in the same time, marking a significant dip for the libertarian firebrand who has struggled to gain traction in a crowded Republican field.
Democratic presidential candidates, who have a far narrower field, raised considerably more in the third quarter. Hillary Clinton’s campaign announced a fundraising haul of $28m earlier this month, while the campaign of Vermont senator Bernie Sanders said it raised $26m.
Rubio’s aides have repeatedly said they are running a frugal campaign and underscored the fact on Thursday, telling donors they had budgeted accordingly and expected the summer to be slow. Rubio did, however, spend the majority of the summer months focused on fundraising.
Rubio has gained significantly more traction in recent weeks, buoyed in particular by well received performances in both presidential debates. Coupled with the stumbles of former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who raised record sums of money prior to launching his presidential campaign, Rubio’s campaign hopes to capitalise on that momentum and is competing with Bush for support from the donor class.
A recent report suggested that Rubio is also the new favourite of the powerhouse Koch brothers, Republican mega-donors who previously favoured Walker and are set to spent $1bn on the 2016 race.
In addition to gaining new prospective donors, Rubio has also become an increasing target among his Republican rivals -- playing into the notion that his candidacy is on the rise. Bush, a longtime friend and ally of Rubio’s, has begun to openly criticize the senator over his low attendance in the US Senate, lack of executive experience and even his vote against airstrikes in Syria in 2013.
Rubio has also drawn attention from real estate mogul Donald Trump, who has hurled insults ranging from calling the Floridian “a clown” and “a baby” to shining a light on Rubio’s prior support for comprehensive immigration reform -- a sticking point for conservative hardliners.
