• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Leadership

How Much Money Failed Presidential Candidates Have Blown Through This Election

By
Alicia Adamczyk
Alicia Adamczyk
and
Money
Money
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Alicia Adamczyk
Alicia Adamczyk
and
Money
Money
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 22, 2016, 10:22 AM ET
Republican Presidential Candidates Hold Third Debate In Colorado
BOULDER, CO - OCTOBER 28: Presidential candidates Ohio Governor John Kasich (L-R), Mike Huckabee, Jeb Bush, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, Ted Cruz (R-TX), New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) pose for a photo at the CNBC Republican Presidential Debate at University of Colorado's Coors Events Center October 28, 2015 in Boulder, Colorado. Fourteen Republican presidential candidates are participating in the third set of Republican presidential debates. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)Photograph by Andrew Burton — Getty Images

Presidential hopeful Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, suspended his campaignSaturday night after a crippling defeat in the South Carolina primary. It was a tough loss for the Republican, made all the more bitter when you consider how much money he raised and spent on his abandoned campaign.

As of January 31, Bush had raised more than $118 million through the Right to Rise Super PAC and about $32 million directly through his campaign. That’s the most of any candidate save Hillary Clinton, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. An additional $55,000 came fromMillennials Rising, another conservative super PAC. (Perhaps now Bush will have more time to get his personal investments in order.)

According to the Huffington Post, the Right to Rise Super PAC has only about $2.5 million left in its once-bulging coffers.

Much was made of Bush’s fundraising on Twitter after he announced his dropout.

Clinton has raised $163,672,986, most of that directly through her campaign. Ted Cruz follows with $89,637,194 raised, while Bernie Sanders has pulled in $75,068,120, putting him in fourth. Trump’s haul puts him behind both Ben Carson and Marco Rubio.

Here’s a tally of how much the other also-rans spent this election season according to the Center for Responsive Politics:

  1. Scott Walker: $24,436,318 from outside money, $7,973,750 from committee money = $32,410,068
  2. Chris Christie: $19,498,758 from outside money, $7,159,329 from committee money = $26,658,087
  3. Carly Fiorina: $13,015,651 from outside money, $11,349,057 from committee money = $24,364,708
  4. Rand Paul: $10,591,125 from outside money, $11,408,766 from committee money = $21,999,891
  5. Rick Perry: $15,231,068 from outside money, $1,427,133 from committee money = $16,658,201
  6. Lindsey Graham: $10,017,014 from outside money, $4,762,211 from committee money = $14,779,225
  7. Mike Huckabee: $5,714,126 from outside money, $3,950,146 from committee money = $9,664,272
  8. Bobby Jindal: $4,517,207 from outside money, $1,442,464 from committee money = $5,959,671
  9. Martin O’Malley: $1,105,138 from outside money, $4,791,834 from committee money = $5,896,972
  10. George Pataki:$1,547,674 from outside money, $544,183 from committee money = $2,091,857
  11. Rick Santorum: $639,151 from outside money, $1,302,885 from committee money = $1,942,036
  12. Jim Webb: $27,092 from outside money, $764,992 from committee money = $792,084
  13. Jim Gilmore: $305,172 from outside money, $214,440 from committee money = $519,612

Grand Total of Drop-Out Money Spent: $314,020,780

About the Authors
Alicia Adamczyk
By Alicia AdamczykSenior Writer
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Alicia Adamczyk is a former New York City-based senior writer at Fortune, covering personal finance, investing, and retirement.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Money
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Startups & VentureGen Z
As Gen Z swaps dating apps for run clubs, Strava’s CEO says the $2 billion unicorn plans to go public ‘at some point’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMarch 3, 2026
1 hour ago
Young girl reading in a chair
SuccessEducation
This 10-year-old in California taught herself to read—now she’s just enrolled in a college class while still in elementary school
By Preston ForeMarch 3, 2026
2 hours ago
Future of Workwork culture
Kickstarter’s CEO stands by a 4-day workweek with a fully remote team, but admits it sometimes backfires
By Sydney LakeMarch 3, 2026
2 hours ago
Photo of Bill Gurley
SuccessCareers
Venture capitalist Bill Gurley warns workers who went through the ‘college conveyor belt’ and chased safe jobs that they’ll feel AI’s disruption first
By Emma BurleighMarch 3, 2026
2 hours ago
AIcyber
Exclusive: CrowdStrike and SentinelOne veterans raise $34M to tackle enterprise AI’s governance gap
By Beatrice NolanMarch 3, 2026
4 hours ago
EuropeQualcomm
Qualcomm CEO: “Resistance is futile” as 6G mobile revolution approaches
By Kamal AhmedMarch 3, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Middle East
U.S. military gives Iran a taste of its own medicine with cheap copycat Shahed drones, while concern shifts to munitions supply in extended conflict
By Jason MaMarch 1, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Interest on the $38.8 trillion national debt has tripled since 2020, and it already costs taxpayers more than defense and Medicaid
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 2, 2026
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard controls a sprawling business empire that dominates the economy
By Jason MaMarch 2, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Slack cofounder says workers and CEOs can get stuck doing 'fake' work like pre-meetings and slideshows
By Emma BurleighMarch 1, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, March 2, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMarch 2, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Health
Gen Z men are eating ‘boy kibble,’ the human equivalent to dog food, to load up on protein cheaply
By Jake AngeloMarch 1, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.