Carly Fiorina raised $6.8 million in quarter, surpassing Marco Rubio

Former Hewlett Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina’s fundraising took off after her forceful debate performance, helping her raise $6.8 million for her campaign between July 1 and September 30, her campaign announced Tuesday.

As Republican presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio did before her, Carly Fiorina is headed to eastern Idaho for a campaign event. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said last week he raised $12.2 million, while retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson is so far leading the field with $20 million raised in the quarter. He collected about $6 million during the July-to-September quarter.

Full details of Fiorina’s fundraising numbers will be made available Oct. 15, the Federal Election Commission’s official reporting deadline for candidates’ October quarterly filings. Candidates have until Thursday to do so.

According to her deputy campaign manager, Fiorina has $5.5 million cash on hand.

That’s a far slower rate of spending than other Republicans, including Rubio and Kentucky Sen.

The businesswoman’s fundraising total is likely to place her squarely in the middle of the Republican field. As the campaign moves closer to seeing votes cast in the early primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire, candidates will begin spending more heavily for television advertising and voter outreach.