Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley listens to a presentation during a campaign town hall meeting in Salem, New Hampshire, U.S., March 28, 2023.
Brian Snyder | Reuters
Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and Trump administration official, is an early favorite of several wealthy donors as she seeks the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential race.
Team Stand for America, a joint fundraising committee raising money for Haley’s presidential campaign, and two other political action committees backing Haley received input from billionaires and wealthy individuals in the first quarter, according to a new CNBC analysis. The executive’s more than two dozen donations to campaign finance documents.
For the record, oil and gas magnate Harold Hamm, Wall Street magnate Ayer Burkov and New Balance boss Jim Davis are among the big donors to the Joint Commission.
A spokesman for Haley’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
Nikki Haley, Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, speaks in front of the New Hampshire state flag in Dover, New Hampshire, U.S., March 27, 2023.
Brian Snyder | Reuters
Still, some of the biggest donors are on the sidelines ahead of next year’s Republican primary, with some waiting for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to announce whether he will run for the White House. By contrast, prospect candidate Republican Vivek Ramaswamy lent more than $10 million to his campaign in the first quarter and relied on about $1 million in donations from others, including at least six wealthy individuals. donors, according to his campaign documents.
Both Haley and Ramaswamy are trailing former President Donald Trump, according to the latest polls.fox news poll Photos taken in late March showed Haley with 3 percent of Republican voters, compared with 1 percent for Ramaswamy. Trump was backed by 54 percent of participants, and DeSantis was backed by 24 percent.poll being investigated Just over 1,000 registered voters.
Republican superdonors have been looking for a strong replacement for Trump who can win the primary and appeal to a broader base of voters in the general election against President Joe Biden, who has said he plans to run for re-election.
Documents filed by Team Stand for America say the organization has received individual donations from wealthy donors ranging from $5,000 to $16,600. The Joint Fundraising Committee completed more than $4.3 million in fundraising, while the Haley campaign itself raised about $5.1 million, according to FEC records. Team Stand for America transferred about $1.8 million to Haley’s campaign on March 31, according to records.
Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, U.S., March 3, 2023.
Sarah Silbiger | Reuters
Hamm, executive chairman of oil and gas company Continental Resources, donated $16,600 to Team Stand for America last month, according to filings. Hamm supported former President Donald Trump during the 2016 election and later endorsed Trump-endorsed Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz.In an interview with the Financial Times, he said interview An article published last year said he didn’t think Trump should run again in 2024.
“Loyalty is important to us – it’s very necessary for a leader,” Hamm told the FT. “I hope Trump will be more loyal to his people.” The Financial Times stated that the former president ignored Hamm to become energy minister in his administration.
Hamm and his family are worth $18.5 billion, according to Forbes.
Hamm isn’t the only former Trump ally turning to help Haley. Former Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb, who last year called the former president a “deeply wounded narcissist,” donated $5,000 to Haley’s joint fundraising committee.
Leonard Stern, chief executive of real estate firm Hartz Mountain Industries, donated the same amount as Hamm to Team Stand for America in March. Forbes puts his net worth at $7.6 billion.
A spokeswoman for Stern, Cobb and Hamm did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley at an event in Charleston, South Carolina, U.S., Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023.
Sam Wolf | Bloomberg | Getty Images
One of Haley’s top supporters said the endorsement of Haley showed donors’ growing desire to support a candidate who could beat Biden in 2024. Haley appeared to be making an appeal to more moderate Republicans while contrasting Trump.Since she announced her candidacy in February, Hayley has become the first Announces 2024 candidate visits the southern border to promote her immigration plans.
“If you look at the make-up of donors at this stage, Republican donors who are often involved in the presidential election see her as a viable candidate who will win not only in the primary but also in the general election,” the lobbying firm said. said Ozzie Palomo, co-founder of Chartwell Strategy Group and Haley fundraiser.
Other wealthy donors who have supported Hayley include Davis, chairman of the shoe company New Balance, who donated $16,600 to the joint fundraising committee in late March. Davis and his family own nearly all of New Balance, with a net worth of $4.9 billion, According to Forbes.
A New Balance spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
Leaders on Wall Street also played a role in helping Hayley fundraising surge.
Bourkoff, CEO of investment giant LionTree, donated $16,600 to Team Stand for America last month. Burkov has a history of donating to Democrats running for office, including Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2020 campaign and Biden’s successful bid for the White House, according to nonpartisan OpenSecrets data. Burkov did not respond to a request for comment.
Jim Haskel, a partner at hedge fund giant Bridgewater Associates, offered the same amount to the committee in February.
Executives from Goldman Sachs, Susquehanna International, UBS and Tiger Fund Management, among other Wall Street leaders who donated to Haley’s joint fundraising committee in the first quarter.
