Politics

Spurned Fla. donors still pay up

Democratic presidential contenders outraise Republicans without campaigning.

By ADAM C. SMITH and CONSTANCE HUMBURG, Times Staff Writers
Published October 17, 2007

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton collected more than $4.84-million of the $18-million Democratic candidates have raised in Florida. Find out what your area gave to the candidates. Interactive: Florida's money machine
	[AP photo]

ADVERTISEMENT Political donations in Florida [Dana Oppenheim | Times]

Even as they snub Florida Democrats by boycotting Florida's primary, the Democratic presidential contenders are hauling in more Florida campaign cash than their Republican counterparts.

New campaign finance reports underscore Florida's continuing role as a gold mine for campaign donations - as well as Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton's deep Sunshine State network.

Florida has supplied nearly $18-million of the more than $400-million raised to date for the presidential race, including more than $4.84-million for Clinton, $3.5-million for Republican Rudy Giuliani, $2.87-million for Democrat Barack Obama, $2.7-million for Republican Mitt Romney and $1.68-million for Republican John McCain.

Actor and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, who formally jumped in the race on Sept. 5, raised about $523,000 from Florida - the Tampa Bay area was his strongest region - and remains a big question mark in the unpredictable Republican primary.

In a big coup for Thompson, Dr. Zach Zachariah, a South Florida cardiologist and top GOP fundraiser whom the leading Republicans had courted for months, has agreed to host a Thompson fundraiser at his Sea Lakes Ranch home next week.

Southeast Florida is the deepest pool for Florida campaign cash, and Clinton raised $3.8-million from that area, compared to $1.45-million for Obama, who raised more than Clinton in Tampa-St. Petersburg $485,000 to $305,000, Jacksonville and Tallahassee.

Among the Republicans, Giuliani topped Romney in Tampa-St. Petersburg ($421,000 to $366,00), southeast and southwest Florida, while Romney beat the field in Orlando and Jacksonville. McCain raised the most in Tallahassee.

Donors can give only up to $2,300 per election cycle, so any amount above that must be held for the general election.

It was not immediately clear how much of Clinton's Florida take would have to be held for after the primary, but nationally Clinton had nearly $35-million on hand for the primary, compared to $32-million for Obama and $11.6-million for Republican frontrunner Giuliani.

"There's a lot more enthusiasm out there and expectation that next year has a good chance of being a Democratic year, so we shouldn't really be surprised a lot of money's going the Democrats' way," said Republican consultant Roger Austin of Gainesville.

The Democratic hopefuls have raised $10.25-million from Florida, including $1.32-million for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who has received at least $26,000 from employees at the Morgan & Morgan personal injury firm and $34,000 from the Florida firm of Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson.

The Republicans have raised $8.94-million from Florida, where many of the state's top GOP fundraisers have stayed on the sidelines so far this year.

"I'm sensing that people are beginning to get a little itchy and we're going to see some movement," said Giuliani's Florida finance chairman Joseph Fogg, predicting people sitting out the race are about to get involved and that others who picked sides early were ready to jump to Giuliani.

"There are quite a few people undecided. That's been part of the problem with all of these folks raising money," said John Jaeb, a Tampa businessman who has given to both Giuliani and Thompson.

Florida's Jan. 29 primary violates both parties' rules barring most states from scheduling elections earlier than Feb. 5, and the leading Democrats in early September publicly promised to shun all Florida campaigning except raising money. There's little evidence that has hurt their hunt for money.

"Absolutely not," said Chris Korge, a leading Clinton fundraiser from Miami. "She's not a stranger to Florida. She's been in Florida clearly more than any other candidate that's run for president, and every significant election since 1992 she's done events for candidates running for everything from legislative offices to gubernatorial races."

Kirk Wagar, Florida finance chairman for Obama, said a quarter of the donations Obama received in Florida were for amounts less than $200 and aren't even individually reported on the federal campaign reports.

"This is a campaign that is going to fight to the end," Wagar said.

"Whether it be a knockout punch in the early states or a delegate selection battle beyond the early states, Obama has the resources to compete all the way through."

Recent Florida polls show Clinton leading the rest of the Democrats by nearly 30 percentage points, while Giuliani leads the Republicans by nearly 7 percentage points.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. Adam C. Smith can be reached at asmith@sptimes.com or (727)893-8241.

[Last modified October 17, 2007, 00:12:18]