Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Harris' magic touch for fundraising failing her

She had less than half of what her Senate opponent, Bill Nelson, had stashed away. No worry, she says, the money will come.

By ADAM C. SMITH
Published October 13, 2005

	Harris

When U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris decided to take on Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, even the skeptics in her own party acknowledged her strengths as a candidate: a tireless worker, a celebrity to the Republican base, a renowned talent for raising big money.

But that crucial fundraising ability no longer looks like a sure thing for the Sarasota congresswoman.

Harris said Wednesday she raised less than $1-million during the three months ending Sept. 30. That's less than half what the Nelson campaign says it raised in the same period, and considerably less than what would have quieted the doubts about her candidacy.

"God willing, knock on wood, I will not have a problem raising money," Harris said, brushing off the significance of her latest fundraising quarter. "Do I think we're going to be at $20-million come the election? No question."

Fundraising is a critical measure of a candidate's viability at this early stage in the campaign, and Harris has a lot to prove. Her candidacy for the Senate was not embraced by the Republican Party, which publicly questioned her ability to unseat Nelson on Nov. 6, 2006, and openly recruited other Republicans even after she entered the race.

Everyone else said no, in part because Harris was considered too formidable a fundraiser and a lock to win in the GOP primary.

Harris and other campaign staffers said they don't yet know exactly what their campaign finance report will show when it's completed in a few days, but Nelson's campaign has about $6.5-million available to spend, said campaign manager Chad Clanton. Three months ago, Harris reported about $400,000 on hand and Nelson had $4.9-million.

Word has spread that Harris didn't raise big money and some Republican strategists are whispering that she could drop out if she has another mediocre fundraising quarter through the end of 2005.

"I'm not getting out," declared Harris, who plans to formally open her campaign headquarters in the West Shore area of Tampa on Monday. "I'm in it for the long haul."

Most polls show her lagging well behind Nelson. Republican leaders in Washington and Tallahassee have for months sought alternative candidates to challenge Nelson, including state House Speaker Allan Bense and former MSNBC personality and former U.S. Rep. Joe Scarborough.

The recruiting appears to be over, but it apparently took a toll on Harris' money-raising efforts.

Harris, for instance, held no political action committee fundraisers in Washington during the period that North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, appeared to be actively shopping for another candidate. Individual donors and money raisers in Florida also waited before jumping behind Harris.

"She is probably not getting as much (campaign money) as she would have gotten had the national party endorsed her right away," said Harris' state finance chairman, Stanley Tate, a veteran Republican fundraiser from Miami-Dade who also is on the Florida Prepaid College Board. "There are large numbers of people who hesitate until they know there is support from the Republican Party nationally. That support was not forthcoming. It's now forthcoming."

Harris may be a political superstar, but in the hunt for dollars she has been overshadowed this year by Republican gubernatorial candidates Charlie Crist and Tom Gallagher, who have raised nearly $10-million between them.

"Much to the credit of the Gallagher and Crist campaigns, they have most of the Republican fundraisers' attention across the state," said Mark Guzzetta, a Palm Beach county developer and top Republican fundraiser helping lead Gallagher's fundraising efforts. "But certainly no one's called and said "Don't contribute (to Harris).' "

Harris said she suspended fundraising during the hurricanes but has $2-million in commitments and has built a strong fundraising team. Her finance director is Mike Miller, who has previously helped raise money for Bill McCollum's Senate campaigns, and she said she has dozens of fundraising leaders scattered across the state. The party, she said, is getting behind her.

"The response I've heard from the (White House) administration has been very encouraging, and I met with the governor and he was incredibly generous," Harris said.

Asked about Harris' candidacy, Gov. Jeb Bush responded in an e-mail: "I am not recruiting anyone (else) now that we have a candidate."

Former state Republican chairman Al Cardenas said Wednesday the uncertainty over whether someone else might run for the office makes it premature to assess Harris' fundraising.

"Let's wait to see to see what Katherine does in this next quarter," he said. "That will be a better harbinger."

Adam C. Smith can be reached at 727 893-8241 or adam@sptimes.com

[Last modified October 13, 2005, 01:12:06]