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By ADAM C. SMITH, Times Political EditorSo far, unchallenged state Sen. Victor Crist has spent more than $100,000 on his re-election.
TAMPA - For state Sen. Victor Crist, few things say "Re-Elect Me" so well as a bouquet from 56th Street Florists in Temple Terrace.
The Tampa Republican has spent nearly $1,400 this year sending flowers to supporters and $5,000 on flowers since 2003. He has spent nearly $24,000 in campaign money on travel expenses and more than $18,000 on advertising.
Tough re-election campaign for Crist? Actually, no one has even hinted about challenging him yet. Still, he has spent more than $102,000 from his campaign account since 2003.
That's more than 39 of the 40 candidates running for state senate have spent this election cycle.
"Most of my colleagues like to wait until the last minute when they have a challenger and then launch a blitz campaign. With my background in advertising I know the value of continuous advertising," said Crist.
Only Republican Sen. Ken Pruitt of Port St. Lucie has spent more than Crist this cycle, more than $131,000. But as incoming Senate president, Pruitt spends much of his time traveling the state helping keep and win Republican state Senate seats.
The 13 senators up for re-election in November, on average, have spent about $33,000 in campaign money since 2003.
Comparing spending senator by senator is an imperfect exercise because, unlike Crist, some incumbents have separate fundraising committees that can collect unlimited contributions used to promote their ambitions. What's more, the state party also covers some expenses for promoting incumbents who almost never lose re-election bids anyway.
Still, the vast difference in campaign spending, Republican state Sen. Bill Posey of Rockledge has raised $45,000 and spent $1,400 while Crist has spent nearly all the money he has raised, provides a window into varying approaches in Florida's money-driven legislative election system.
"Different people have different styles. I try to hold onto as much money as I can and then spend it when it's closer to the campaign," said Republican state Sen. Lee Constantine of Altamonte Springs, who has raised $104,000 and spent $3,300 since 2003. He said he keeps a high profile in his district without spending much money.
"It doesn't cost a lot of money to go to every women's club in your district. ... It doesn't cost a lot of money to speak at various Rotary Clubs," said Constantine.
But Constantine, who had wanted to become Senate president after Ken Pruitt, also has a separate political committee, Citizens for a Greater Florida, which has raised more than $190,000 and spent more than $60,000 since 2003.
Republican state Sen. Mike Haridopolos of Melbourne casts himself as one of the Legislature's most ardent fiscal conservatives. But not when it comes to his campaign account.
He falls just behind Crist as the biggest campaign cash spender among Senate incumbents, having gone through nearly $95,000 of the $265,000 he has raised.
"You get a lot more bang for the buck early than you do later," said Haridopolos, who just days ago ended a 10-day cable TV ad run directing viewers to fill out an "opinionnaire" on his Web site. "I run a constant campaign."
So does Victor Crist, though he has always relied particularly heavy on grass roots campaigning. Spending the money on "maintenance advertising" keeps his name recognition and his popularity steadily high, said Crist.
Years before an election, he has been known to have volunteers knocking on doors talking to constituents or manning phone banks. It's necessary, he said, in case interest groups bash him, as doctors have done by sending his constituents mail criticizing him for not backing stricter restrictions on lawsuits.
He said he often has to travel to political events and fundraisers across the state, but declined to provide any detail into many of the expenses he reported because he said he did not want to reveal political strategy. The Crist campaign reported spending $255 on his new wife, which Crist said was to reimburse her for air fare to a political event.
"Now that I'm married it's important people need to know and meet my wife," he explained.
All those flowers? Just call it savvy politics. They tend to go to particularly helpful or potentially helpful people on birthdays, after a family member dies or when they've organized a community meeting for him.
"Let me tell you that those flowers are the most thoughtful and best way of showing I appreciate you, especially when someone who is helpful to your desire to get re-elected doesn't expect them," Crist said.
--Adam C. Smith can be reached at 727893-8241 or adam@sptimes.com