• Governor Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign raised $15 million during the third quarter of the year, which is a $5 million decrease compared to the previous quarter. 
• Of the $15 million raised, $5 million is designated for the primary campaign.
• DeSantis, a primary Republican rival to Donald Trump, is relocating some campaign staff to Des Moines, Iowa, in preparation for the state’s Republican caucuses, and faces challenges in the polls, particularly in New Hampshire, where he trails behind Nikki Haley and Trump.

The presidential campaign for Gov. Ron DeSantis reported raising $15 million during the third fundraising quarter of this year, marking a $5 million decrease from the $20 million it reported raising during the previous quarter.

Per the campaign, the fundraiser amount was collected through three political committees associated with DeSantis’s campaign: his campaign account, the Never Back Down political action committee, and a joint fundraising account that divides contributions between the campaign and the PAC. Of the $15 million, $5 million is earmarked for primary campaign use.

“Thanks to the generous support of Americans looking for a leader who will deliver results, this campaign is built to last and win,” said campaign manager James Uthmeier. “Ron DeSantis is the only candidate in this race who can beat both Donald Trump and Joe Biden, revive our economy, secure the border, make America energy dominant, and end the weaponization of government once and for all.”

It was also reported on Wednesday that DeSantis’ campaign is relocating a portion of its staff from Tallahassee to Des Moines, Iowa, in preparation for the state’s Republican caucuses.

DeSantis, widely considered to be the primary Republican rival to Trump, easily clinched reelection in 2022 with the help of a well-funded state political committee. En route to a nearly 20-point margin of victory over Democrat challenger Charlie Crist, he raised more than $225 million, out of which $82.5 million was transferred to his national campaign.

“Casey and I are beyond grateful for all those who chipped in what they could to strengthen our movement to take back the White House and reverse America’s decline. We’re ready to fight, lead, and win,” DeSantis posted on X.

A significant portion of DeSantis’ fundraising came within the first 24 hours of his campaign’s official announcement, with the governor raising $8.2 million, according to members of his staff.

Amid ongoing legal troubles, Donald Trump’s campaign on Wednesday reported raising $45 million in donations. With the third-quarter haul, the GOP primary frontrunner possesses $37.5 million in cash.

Despite a universally praised second debate performance, DeSantis has seen his poll numbers slip, particularly in New Hampshire, where recent surveys place him in third place behind Nikki Haley and Trump. Haley leads DeSantis by nine points — 19 percent to 10 percent — in a Suffolk University/Boston Globe/USA TODAY survey released on Wednesday morning, with both candidates trailing the former president (49 percent) by a considerable amount.