The 2024 primary elections are underway, and residents in some states have already chosen who they want to see on the ballot in November. But before heading to the polls, Americans showed support for their preferred candidate in 2023 by giving them their hard-earned cash.
Presidential hopefuls raised more than $119 million from individual donors last year, according to the latest data from the Federal Election Commission. Individuals can donate up to $3,300 to a primary campaign and another $3,300 for the general election but can spread that over multiple payments.
Republicans fared particularly well — receiving 75% of the total haul — but the once-crowded field has thinned out in recent months. The top fundraiser, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, ended his campaign in January. Coming in second was former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who raked in $22.5 million, followed by independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Democratic President Joe Biden.
One candidate noticeably absent from the top 10 fundraisers was former President Donald Trump, who received $145,000 from individual donors in 2023, FEC data shows. Prior to the 2016 general election, his presidential campaign received more than $75 million in donations from individual contributors.
The total amount a candidate raises is just one way to look at voter sentiment. A New York Times analysis of the same data shows Trump had more individual small donors in 2023 compared to Biden. The former president is currently in the lead for his party’s nomination, winning 63 delegates so far, but recent polling shows the appetite for a Trump-Biden rematch may be waning among some voters.
Stacker analyzed campaign finance data compiled by the FEC to see which presidential candidates Americans gave the most money to in 2023. Candidates are ranked on the total dollar amount they received from individual campaign donors in each state.
Alabama — 1. Ron DeSantis, $182,309 in total donations; 2. Nikki Haley, $110,424 in total donations; 3. Tim Scott, $73,519 in total donations
Alaska — 1. Nikki Haley $29,453; 2. Ron DeSantis $28,945; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $27,457
Arizona — 1. Nikki Haley $548,629; 2. Ron DeSantis $484,841; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $416,910
Arkansas — 1. Asa Hutchinson $537,175; 2. Nikki Haley $184,141; 3. Joe Biden $38,759
California — 1. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $3,825,496; 2. Ron DeSantis $3,453,531; 3. Joe Biden $2,412,342
Colorado — 1. Nikki Haley $466,920; 2. Ron DeSantis $419,404 in total donations; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $415,841
Connecticut — 1. Nikki Haley $374,874; 2. Ron DeSantis $309,780; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $241,656
Delaware — 1. Joe Biden $110,567; 2. Nikki Haley $43,845; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $38,359
Florida — 1. Ron DeSantis $11,859,915 in total donations; 2. Nikki Haley $2,144,580; 3. Jim Alexander Norris $1,430,000
Georgia — 1. Nikki Haley $763,466; 2. Ron DeSantis $457,259; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $330,055
Hawaii — 1. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $126,453; 2. Joe Biden $90,834; 3. Nikki Haley $36,294
Idaho — 1. Nikki Haley $92,106; 2. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $69,808; 3. Ron DeSantis $55,815
Illinois — 1. Nikki Haley $585,809; 2. Ron DeSantis $581,221; 3. Joe Biden $426,124
Indiana — 1. Mike Pence $920,190; 2. Ron DeSantis $333,802; 3. Nikki Haley $189,135
Iowa — 1. Nikki Haley $191,293; 2. Ron DeSantis $77,561; 3. Joe Biden $64,550
Kansas — 1. Ron DeSantis $236,468 in total donations; 2. Nikki Haley $109,454; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $63,816
Kentucky — 1. Ron DeSantis $114,723; 2. Nikki Haley $113,399; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $87,392
Louisiana — 1. Ron DeSantis $121,558; 2. Nikki Haley $116,172; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $73,704
Maine — 1. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $152,806; 2. Joe Biden $82,446; 3. Nikki Haley $64,266
Maryland — 1. Nikki Haley $472,630; 2. Joe Biden $404,965; 3. Ron DeSantis $233,909
Massachusetts — 1. Nikki Haley $679,319; 2. Joe Biden $650,970; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $396,216
Michigan — 1. Perry Johnson; 2. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $359,471; 3. Ron DeSantis $301,306
Minnesota — 1. Nikki Haley $358,165; 2. Doug Burgum $200,388; 3. Joe Biden $188,845
Mississippi — 1. Ron DeSantis $132,799; 2. Nikki Haley $43,995; 3. Tim Scott $23,183
Missouri — 1. Nikki Haley $409,769; 2. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $137,492; 3. Ron DeSantis $126,031
Montana — 1. Nikki Haley $75,489; 2. Ron DeSantis $64,339; 3. Joe Biden $50,562
Nebraska — 1. Nikki Haley $92,480 in total donations; 2. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $50,350; 3. Ron DeSantis $45,308
Nevada — 1. Nikki Haley $263,840; 2. Ron DeSantis $243,371; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $185,146 in total donations
New Hampshire — 1. Nikki Haley $204,972; 2. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $120,320; 3. Joe Biden $102,727
New Jersey — 1. Chris Christie $1,894,617; 2. Ron DeSantis $833,667; 3. Nikki Haley $608,684
New Mexico — 1. Joe Biden $103,192; 2. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $86,634; 3. Nikki Haley $85,160
New York — 1. Ron DeSantis $2,144,556; 2. Nikki Haley; $1,322,654; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $1,251,864
North Carolina — 1. Nikki Haley $871,336; 2. Ron DeSantis $333,811; 3. Joe Biden $262,223
North Dakota — 1. Doug Burgum $892,785; 2. Nikki Haley $28,418; 3. Joe Biden $7,409
Ohio — 1. Vivek Ramaswamy $2,435,490; 2. Nikki Haley $679,125; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $327,664
Oklahoma — 1. Ron DeSantis $204,374; 2. Nikki Haley $153,928; 3. Vivek Ramaswamy $62,618
Oregon — 1. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $285,087; 2. Joe Biden $217,583; 3. Nikki Haley $183,041
Pennsylvania — 1. Ron DeSantis $809,469; 2. Nikki Haley $468,801; 3. Joe Biden $370,042
Rhode Island — 1. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $59,826; 2. Joe Biden $36,750; 3. Nikki Haley $30,153
South Carolina — 1. Nikki Haley $2,164,207; 2. Tim Scott $2,040,117; 3. Ron DeSantis $267,582
South Dakota — 1. Nikki Haley $58,011; 2. Ron DeSantis $49,372; 3. Doug Burgum $25,281
Tennessee — 1. Ron DeSantis $749,943; 2. Tim Scott $459,192; 3. Nikki Haley $382,911
Texas — 1. Ron DeSantis $3,020,079; 2. Nikki Haley $2,529,801; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $1,132,264
Utah — 1. Ron DeSantis $324,857; 2. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $260,115; 3. Nikki Haley $159,867
Vermont — 1. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $72,932; 2. Joe Biden $48,314; 3. Nikki Haley $23,044
Virginia — 1. Nikki Haley $698,141; 2. Ron DeSantis $634,529; 3. Joe Biden $411,793
Washington — 1. Joe Biden $628,604; 2. Nikki Haley $493,168; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $431,449
Washington, D.C. — 1. Joe Biden $299,618; 2. Nikki Haley $203,348; 3. Ron DeSantis $178,571
West Virginia — 1. Nikki Haley $28,296; 2. Ron DeSantis $22,487; 3. Joe Biden $19,740
Wisconsin — 1. Nikki Haley $334,010; 2. Ron DeSantis $287,044; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $123,357
Wyoming — 1. Ron DeSantis $99,647; 2. Nikki Haley $59,666; 3. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. $39,384
Written by Elena Cox. Story editing by Ashleigh Graf. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.
This article was copy edited from its original version.