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Bilirakis has huge lead in money

But his Democratic opponent is more concerned with Republicans' attitude about a supporter of hers.

By ROBIN STEIN
Published August 29, 2006

A week before the primary election, campaign coffers are swelling and the rhetoric is sharpening in the race for the District 9 congressional seat.

New campaign finance filings show that Republican frontrunner Gus Bilirakis' formidable war chest continued to grow between July 1 and Aug. 16.

Bilirakis' fundraising dwarfed the cash flow to David Langheier, his opponent in next week's primary election. It also left Bilirakis with reserves four times greater than Phyllis Busansky, the sole Democratic contender in the race.

After having raised about $317,000 and spent $147,000, Bilirakis ended the cycle with nearly $1.2-million cash on hand. Campaign contributions over the entire election season have totaled $1.8-million.

Langheier's latest filings showed $31,300 in receipts and $29,400 in expenses since July 1, which left him with $3,750.

Busansky finished the cycle with more than $530,000 in cash, after raising about $94,000 and spending $93,000. Overall, her campaign has received more than $817,000 in contributions, not even half of Bilirakis' totals.

"I have exactly what I'm supposed to have and I will have more. ... He can do whatever he wants," Busansky said. "The more money he makes, the more frightened he looks."

She may not be flustered by the growing gap in money, but she said she was very angry about the Republican response to Max Cleland. The former Senator from Georgia campaigned for Busansky and other local Democratic candidates over the weekend.

"Max Cleland, better than I ever could, reminds Floridians that we face a clear choice in the upcoming elections," Republican Party of Florida Chairman Carole Jean Jordan said in a statement on Sunday.

Florida voters are not attracted by what Jordan described as Cleland's "dreadful national security record" and "hypocritical attacks against the President during a time of war."

Busansky responded with a statement calling for Bilirakis to repudiate Jordan's "shameful attack."

Cleland, a Vietnam veteran who lost both his legs and his right arm, was awarded a Silver Star.

"When you attack Max Cleland, you attack every veteran who ever served," Busansky said.

Bilirakis' staff, which learned of the statements when contacted by the St. Petersburg Times, said the campaign stood by Jordan's statement.

"It didn't appear to anyone else that Max Cleland was really attacked," said Rob Whitney, Bilirakis' campaign manager. Rather, he said, Jordan's comments painted a "historical picture of what took place, in the buildup to Iraq and the global war on terror."

In a district where military policy and veterans issues have long been a focus, the exchange is unlikely to be the end of the debate.

Yet, money will certainly play a role in how well candidates communicate their positions in the runup to November, a gap which - if anything - may be understated.

Whitney estimated that $35,000 to $40,000 in contributions are not included in Bilirakis' preprimary filing.

Since Aug. 16, the campaign has received another $5,000 to 10,000, and Whitney said the campaign is expecting to receive another $30,000 raised at a "Retain Our Majority Project" fundraiser in Atlanta last month. Contributions from the event were funneled to "Southeast Romp," a "joint fundraising committee," which is authorized to raise and spend money on behalf of multiple federal candidates. Bilirakis was one of the 10 Republican candidates in "targeted races" who joined forces for the event.

Busansky said she is not aiming to match Bilirakis' numbers, but rather to raise just enough money to be competitive.

"The television sets will light up when we want them to, and the mail will go out when we want it to."

[Last modified August 28, 2006, 22:55:22]