Republican presidential hopeful Rand Paul says he’s in it for the long haul. But the Kentucky senator could soon find himself strapped for cash if his fundraising numbers are any indication.
Paul’s campaign is expected to report a second quarter fundraising total of about $2.5 million on or before Oct. 15 when the Federal Election Commission requires candidates and PACs to submit their total contributions.
Despite the latest figures showing a decline in financial support since the last FEC deadline — Paul raised $7 million in the previous quarter — a spokesman for Paul says the senator is as determined as ever.
“Not only are we in for the long haul but we’ve seen an uptick in crowds and support,” Sergio Gor, who serves as Paul’s communications director, told the Washington Post. Gor also noted that the campaign raised $750,000 in the two weeks following the second GOP debate.
“That was due to a solid debate performance that got our crowd excited,” he is quoted as saying. “We’re a solid campaign and our fundraising pace is doubling.”
Meanwhile, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson announced Thursday that his campaign had raked in around $20 million in the second quarter. Carson is the only other GOP candidate to release second quarter totals so far. Also far ahead of Paul in fundraising are Democratic hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders who reportedly raised $28 million and $26 million, respectively.
Paul currently places ninth in the Washington Examiner‘s presidential power rankings and is polling at around 3 percent in several national polls. It has yet to be determined whether he will be eligible to participate in the third Republican primary debate, hosted by CNBC.
