President Joe Biden's fundraising efforts for his reelection campaign are off to a strong start, as he significantly outpaced his potential Republican rivals in fundraising during the third quarter. According to campaign finance data released by the Federal Elections Commission, Biden's campaign, joint fundraising committees, and the Democratic National Committee raised over $71 million in the third quarter, bringing their collective cash on hand to $91 million. While this is slightly less than what they raised in the second quarter, Biden's team attributes the decrease to a shift in donor enthusiasm, with smaller-dollar donations of $200 or less making up 49% of their total contributions compared to 33% in the previous quarter.

Former President Donald Trump continues to lead the pack among GOP presidential candidates, raising $24.5 million between July and September. This marks an increase from the $17.7 million he raised in the second quarter and the $14.4 million raised in the first quarter. Trump's campaign ended September with over $37.5 million in cash on hand, significantly more than his Republican competitors. The fundraising numbers released by Trump are slightly lower than what his campaign claimed his joint fundraising committee raised, indicating that the committee may be spending a significant amount of money supporting Trump's official campaign and Save America PAC.

Trump's legal battles, including federal and state indictments related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, have actually benefited his fundraising efforts. A CBS News analysis revealed that his campaign raised over $2 million in the first 48 hours after his mug shot from the Fulton County jail in Georgia was released. The campaign even sold merchandise featuring the mugshot. Trump's campaign also saw a spike in donations on the day he was indicted in Washington, D.C., raising over $770,000. Despite the legal challenges he faces, Trump remains popular among grassroots small-dollar donors.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley are trailing behind Trump in fundraising. DeSantis raised $15.1 million in the third quarter, while Haley raised $8.2 million. DeSantis spent nearly all of the money he raised, with $10.6 million going towards operating expenditures. However, his campaign reported $12.3 million in cash on hand, of which only $5 million can be used in the primary campaign due to individual donation limits. Haley, on the other hand, has $11.5 million in cash on hand and over $9.1 million available for the primary campaign. Both candidates have kept their operations lean, with DeSantis spending just under $4 million in August and Haley spending only $3.5 million between July and September.

Former Vice President Mike Pence is facing significant challenges in fundraising for his presidential campaign. He raised $3.3 million in the third quarter but has only $1.2 million in cash on hand and a significant debt of about $620,000. Pence's personal contribution of $150,000 further highlights his campaign's financial shortfall. His campaign has relied heavily on mail to reach enough voters to qualify for the Republican debates, as candidates must secure at least 70,000 individual donations to participate.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy raised nearly $7.5 million in the third quarter, with over 120,000 donations coming from small donors, 40% of whom were first-time donors to a Republican candidate. Ramaswamy's campaign spent over $12 million but has about $4 million in cash on hand. He also made a significant personal contribution of over $1 million to his campaign.

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott raised about $5.9 million and has $13.3 million available in cash on hand, the second-highest amount after Trump. Scott's campaign has incurred a debt of $927,827. Despite this, his campaign claims to be fully funded through the early-voting states and has met the fundraising threshold for the third GOP debate.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie raised an estimated $3.7 million, spent $1.5 million, and ended the third quarter with $3.9 million cash on hand and no debt. Christie's lean campaign team of about 15 people has allowed him to keep expenses low.

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum raised $3.4 million and has $2.3 million cash on hand. Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson raised $667,781 and has $325,287 in cash on hand, along with $720,172 in debt.

Overall, the fundraising efforts of presidential candidates from both parties indicate their determination to build significant financial resources well ahead of the 2024 election. While Biden and the DNC have enjoyed a strong fundraising quarter, Trump remains a formidable force in the GOP primary field, with DeSantis and Haley trailing behind. The coming months will likely see further developments in fundraising and campaigning efforts as candidates jockey for position in the race for the White House.