WASHINGTON (AP) – Ted Cruz raised more than $12 million in the past three months for his Republican presidential bid, about twice what competitor Marco Rubio collected in the same time period.
The new numbers are being circulated by the campaigns ahead of a deadline next week to report fundraising to federal regulators. The quarterly figures mark a practical and symbolic measure of strength for all presidential candidates, but they don’t tell the whole story.
Cruz and Rubio both topped Rand Paul, whose presidential campaign said it had pulled in $2.5 million through the end of September. Several candidates struggled to raise money over the summer months, with celebrity real estate mogul Donald Trump commanding attention in what remains a 15-candidate fight for the nomination.
So far it appears that another political outsider, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, is leading in quarterly fundraising. His campaign said last week it raised $20 million between July 1 and Sept. 30.
Rubio’s campaign briefed donors who have gathered at a retreat in Las Vegas. One attendee shared the fundraising information with the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to share fundraising numbers before they’re officially released by the campaign. The AP learned of Cruz’s figures from a campaign aide, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to share the numbers before official release.