MyDD :: Florida Governor's Race: The Money Chase

Florida Governor's Race: The Money Chase

by FloridaD, Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 11:03:36 AM EST

Looks like Rod Smith has been busy shaking the money tree. It's interesting that his competition, and only other announced candidate, Jim Davis would not release his fundraising number. That would seem to imply that they didn't match Sen. Smith's number.

Smith raises $349,000 in 36 days for gubernatorial bid

The Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Democratic state Sen. Rod Smith raised about $349,000 for gubernatorial campaign during the 36 days leading up to the legislative session, his campaign said Monday.

Smith, of Alachua, also transferred about $48,000 from his Senate campaign account, bringing his total to about $396,906, his campaign said.

"It's an impressive number, it works out to about $10,000 a day," said Joe Perry, the campaign's finance director. "It's a lot of hard working raising that kind of money."

The campaign exceeded it's goal of raising $250,000 before session started, Perry said.

Smith opened his campaign account Jan. 30. He suspended fund raising March 8 when the session began. Senate rules don't allow senators to raise money during the 60-day session, which ends May 6.

"It's not a bad thing," Perry said of the two-month fund raising break. "It gives us time to regroup and plan and get ready to come out of the box strong the day after the session is over."

Included among the 1,000 donors were former Attorney General Bob Butterworth, Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-Aventura, and Sen. Skip Campbell, D-Fort Lauderdale.

Smith and Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Davis are the only two major candidates to announce plans to run for governor next year. Gov. Jeb Bush can't seek re-election because of term limits.

Davis's campaign didn't have a final fund raising figure for the quarter ending March 31, but expected to complete its campaign finance report this week.

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Smith being run by Florida Mainstream Democrats. (none / 0)

I have done some research on them. They are admittedly DLC inspired, and I have some concerns.

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050222/NEWS/502220346/1004

"Today's meeting at the Florida Democratic Party headquarters may also ease strife generated by this weekend's inaugural meeting of the Florida
Mainstream Democrats -- a group of lawmakers and party activists seeking to resurrect once-strong support from rural voters who are registered as
Democrats but vote for Republicans.

The group's leader -- Sen. Steve Geller, D-Hallandale Beach -didn't invite Maddox, saying he was not supportive of the group's mission. Maddox fired back, calling the meeting "divisive" and harmful to the party.

The Mainstream group is generally supportive of Smith's candidacy. Neither of the other two announced Democratic candidates -- U.S. Rep. Jim Davis and Lawton "Bud" Chiles -- were invited to a meeting held Saturday in Orlando."

Florida Mainstream Democrats
Democrats from new caucus.
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/democrat/news/local/8498344.htm

http://mainstreamdemocrats.com/
Here is the website.
Florida's government should help hard working
people who play by the rules.

The Florida Mainstream Democrats support
patriotism and our armed forces.

The Florida Mainstream Democrats believe that
faith and moral conviction are the centerpiece to
our communities.

18 seek to shed liberal tag

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/8497626.htm

''I think our primary goal is to elect Democrats,'' said Sen. Steve Geller,
the Hallandale Beach Democrat who leads the organization. ``Our secondary goal is to remind moderate to conservative voters in the state of Florida that the Democratic Party really does represent them as well.''

Geller said the group's philosophical ties are close to the Democratic Leadership Council, the national, moderate Democratic group that represents the more conservative wing of the party and that helped elect President Bill
Clinton and bring other Southern Democrats to prominence.

Republicans have been successful at tagging all Democrats as liberals -- as though it were a dirty word, said Sen. Rod Smith, D-Alachua. He and other members of the group want to remind people of the party's values, including
an emphasis on jobs, family, tolerance and faith."

Democrats reconsider, open meeting on future

http://www.stpetetimes.com/2005/02/15/State/Democrats_reconsider_.shtml

by concerned democrat on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 06:12:58 PM EST

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