Pence and other long-shot GOP candidates face financial warning signs as 2024 approaches

Former Vice President Mike Pence has run up debt in his bid for the White House, according to figures released by his campaign Sunday - underscoring the financial hurdle he faces just months before the first contests for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

And other fundraising totals announced by GOP contenders ahead of a midnight filing deadline with the Federal Election Commission highlight the vast financial divide among the large group of candidates vying to become their party's standard-bearer. Former President Donald Trump appears to sit atop the field in fundraising, according to his campaign's previously released figures - with Pence and several others trailing far behind.

Pence's presidential campaign will report having raised $3.3 million in the third quarter with $1.2 million still in the bank as of September 30, according to a campaign spokesperson.

The campaign, however, will report $620,000 in debt.

The former vice president also pitched in $150,000 of his own funds during the July-to-September period, his campaign said, as he has struggled to gain traction with Republican voters and donors.

NBC News first reported Pence's third-quarter totals.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott have all reported raising millions more through their campaigns and affiliated committees, putting them on stronger financial footing heading into the next leg of the race.