• 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

Thompson
C-SuiteMedia
Atlantic CEO Nick Thompson on how he learned to ‘just keep moving forward’ after his famous firing at 22
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 14, 2025
2 hours ago
Chess master and co-founder of Chess.com, Danny Rensch
SuccessEntrepreneurs
Chess.com cofounder says it took a pinch of delusion to bring the traditional game online—and it’s a ‘requirement for every successful entrepreneur’
By Emma BurleighDecember 14, 2025
4 hours ago
JPMorganChase CEO Jamie Dimon says AI will eliminate jobs—and that soft skills will be more important than ever.
Future of WorkTech
Jamie Dimon says soft skills like emotional intelligence and communication are vital as AI eliminates roles
By Nino PaoliDecember 14, 2025
6 hours ago
Nicholas Thompson
C-SuiteBook Excerpt
I took over one of the most prestigious media firms while training for an ultramarathon. Here’s what I learned becoming CEO of The Atlantic
By Nicholas ThompsonDecember 13, 2025
1 day ago
Lauren Antonoff
SuccessCareers
Once a college dropout, this CEO went back to school at 52—but she still says the Gen Zers who will succeed are those who ‘forge their own path’
By Preston ForeDecember 13, 2025
1 day ago
Asiathe future of work
The CEO of one of Asia’s largest co-working space providers says his business has more in common with hotels
By Angelica AngDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Tariffs are taxes and they were used to finance the federal government until the 1913 income tax. A top economist breaks it down
By Kent JonesDecember 12, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne sold his 10% stake for $800 in 1976—today it’d be worth up to $400 billion
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
40% of Stanford undergrads receive disability accommodations—but it’s become a college-wide phenomenon as Gen Z try to succeed in the current climate
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The Fed just ‘Trump-proofed’ itself with a unanimous move to preempt a potential leadership shake-up
By Jason MaDecember 12, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Apple CEO Tim Cook out-earns the average American’s salary in just 7 hours—to put that into context, he could buy a new $439,000 home in just 2 days
By Emma BurleighDecember 12, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
18 days ago
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
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • 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
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 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.