Out-of-state money has powered Haley’s re-election bid

Gov. Nikki Haley has won her fundraising battle with her Democratic rival, state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, largely with the help of out-of-state donors.

Republican Haley has raised $3.8 million from donors outside South Carolina, according to campaign finance records filed with the state Monday. Sheheen has raised only $316,000 of his $3.5 million outside the Palmetto State.

Overall, Haley has outraised Sheheen more than 2-1 in her bid to win a second term in two weeks.

However, looking solely at in-state fundraising, the race to run the state has been more competitive.

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Since entering the race in April 2013, Camden’s Sheheen has edged the Lexington incumbent in raising cash in South Carolina for his rematch against Haley, who beat him by 4.5 percentage points in 2010.

Sheheen has raised $3.2 million in South Carolina since April 2013 compared to Haley’s $3 million during the same period.

Haley has been raising money for re-election since she took office in 2011, bringing in $8.2 million, including $4.4 million – or 53 percent – from S.C. donors.

The campaign of Greenville petition candidate Tom Ervin brought in $2.3 million from July 1 through mid-October – more than Haley and Sheheen combined during that period. But almost all of that money came from personal and bank loans.

Ervin has $1.2 million on hand. He has remained a distant third in polls despite outspending Sheheen, a major-party candidate.

Frontrunner Haley has $1.4 million to spend in the campaign’s final two weeks. Sheheen, polling in second place, has less than $600,000 on hand.

Campaign records for Libertarian Steve French and United Citizens Candidate Morgan Bruce Reeves, the third-party candidates, were not available Tuesday.

Haley’s in-state donations, averaging $384, have been smaller than her out-of-state contributions.

Texans gave Haley $642,017, averaging $1,504 per donation. Florida was Haley’s third most lucrative state. Haley raised almost $600,000 in the Sunshine State, with donations averaging $1,140.

Haley, who some see as a rising star in the national GOP, has raised money from about 15,500 donations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Sheheen’s 12,709 donations were smaller than Haley’s, averaging $267 in state and $411 outside of South Carolina, compared to Haley’s $384 average from in-state donors and $925 from out-of-state contributors.

While Sheheen bested Haley in South Carolina for much of 2013 in fundraising, momentum among S.C. donors has shifted recently in Haley’s favor.

Haley took the lead in the last two fundraising quarters, bringing in $838,916 from S.C. donors since July – beating Sheheen’s total fundraising of $803,568 during the same time frame.

Staff reporter Andrew Shain contributed.

Reach Self at (803) 771-8658.

This story was originally published October 21, 2014 at 9:04 PM with the headline "Out-of-state money has powered Haley’s re-election bid."