Watchdog group says Ron DeSantis has broken gubernatorial fundraising record

Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis’s re-election effort is reportedly commanding a war chest of over $177 million, a nationwide record that underscores the Republican politician’s considerable popularity as he enters a race he looks poised to handily win.

Between his personal re-election effort and a supporting super PAC, DeSantis’s re-election machine “reported raising $177.4 million through Sept. 9, breaking the gubernatorial fundraising record without adjusting for inflation,” OpenSecrets said this week.

The lion’s share of that massive amount—$146 million—was pulled down by the super PAC Friends of Ron DeSantis, while the governor’s own re-election campaign has raised $31.4 million,. 

DeSantis’s competitor in the governor’s race, Charlie Christ, has raised considerably less than his Republican rival. 

The Independent former U.S. Representative's political operation “reported raising nearly $20 million through Sept. 9, almost nine times less than the new gubernatorial fundraising record holder,” OpenSecrets said.