Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley has not revealed how much money she raised in the first week and a half since launching her White House bid, marking a break from the traditional strategy that sees candidates touting those numbers as a sign of political strength.
Haley’s campaign said they are “enormously pleased” with the money it has raised since the former South Carolina governor announced her White House run on Feb. 15. However, spokespeople for the Republican candidate said they would wait until April 15 to release a figure showing the full quarter’s haul.
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The move has raised some eyebrows among political strategists, as candidates typically like to use those initial numbers to brag about their campaign’s strength.
“Maybe they are simply not raising impressive numbers,” Democratic strategist Ken Christensen told the Associated Press. “Or they simply want to pull in as much money as possible before the next FEC reporting period, trying to build a big number for the next FEC report.”
In the meantime, Haley’s decision could prompt concerns among prospective donors as they watch the growing primary field for which candidates offer the strongest fundraising prowess.
For Haley, that could prove even more complicated — as South Carolina donors, in particular, remain on edge to see whether Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) will mount a White House bid, possibly splitting support within the Palmetto State.
Both Republicans are popular among South Carolina voters, and some donors have already said they’d wait until Scott makes a decision before they decide who to back, according to the Associated Press.
“It is a tough choice for a lot of South Carolina Republicans to make between two very well-liked South Carolina political figures,” said Chad Walldorf, a Charleston businessman who has previously backed both Scott and Haley. “It’s a very difficult choice to have two people that I consider friends, both of whom I think would be wonderful presidents.”
Although Scott has not declared whether he intends to run for president, the South Carolina senator benefits from a massive campaign war chest and fundraising strength that could give him a boost over his possible challengers.
Scott positioned himself as a top fundraiser during the 2022 midterm cycle, raising more than $43 million for his reelection campaign, according to records from the Federal Election Commission. That fundraising haul leaves Scott with nearly $22 million on hand as of Dec. 31 that the senator can transfer to a presidential committee should he choose to run.
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That puts Scott above former President Donald Trump, who reported having $3 million on hand at the end of last year, according to campaign records.
Haley announced her White House run nearly two weeks ago, making her the first challenger to Trump, who is also seeking the GOP nomination. Those two, along with Vivek Ramaswamy, are the only ones to declare their presidential bids so far, but the Republican primary field is expected to grow increasingly crowded over the coming months.
