Republican Presidential contender Jeb Bush out-raised rival Marco Rubio in the third quarter, topping all other GOP presidential contenders in fundraising with the exception of neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
Mr. Bush raised $13.4 million in the quarter, compared to Mr. Rubio’s intake of $6 million. The two Republicans hail from the same state and are largely competing for the same establishment donors.
Since the second GOP debate, Mr. Rubio has seen his poll numbers soar, whereas Mr. Bush’s poll numbers have remained in the middle of the pack.
Mr. Carson is currently running second in the national contest, with businessman Donald Trump topping the list. Mr. Carson’s campaign raised $20 million in the second-quarter. Mr. Trump is self-funding his run.
“We knew from the start this was going to be a hard fought and close race, but few could have anticipated just how volatile this field would be,” Mr. Bush’s campaign manager Danny Diaz wrote in a letter to donors. ” I – for one – would be less than forthcoming if I said we predicted in June that a reality television star supporting Canadian-style single-payer health care and partial-birth abortion would be leading the Republican Primary.”
Mr. Diaz assured donors Mr. Bush would be “better funded than any other in the entire field” and that their campaign has a “formidable grassroots organization in the early states.”
Although his fundraising intake was respectable, Mr. Bush’s cash on hand lags some of his competitors – a fact Mr. Rubio was quick to point out.
At the end of the quarter, Mr. Bush had $10.3 million cash on hand to fund his presidential campaign – less than rivals Mr. Rubio ($11 million), Sen. Ted Cruz ($13.5 million) and Mr. Carson ($11.5 million).
“Thanks to smart budgeting and fiscal discipline, Marco Rubio for President started October with more money in the bank than Jeb Bush for President and most other campaigns,” according to a statement by Mr. Rubio’s campaign – put out six minutes after Mr. Bush’s announcement. “Rubio’s FEC report details the lengths his campaign went to save money.”
It goes on to list buying office furniture from Craigslist, taking cheap Uber rides and flying discount airliners like Sprint and Frontier.
Mr. Bush has been criticized for running a costly campaign, complete with chartered flights and expensive hotels.
• Editor’s note: Political reporter Kelly Riddell’s husband, Frank Sadler, was the campaign manager for Republican presidential contender Carly Fiorina.
• Kelly Riddell can be reached at kriddell@washingtontimes.com.
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