Crist adds $1.5 million to campaign war chest

Orlando Sentinel ^ | October 2, 2005 | John Kennedy

[Quaker]

Crist adds $1.5 million to campaign war chest John Kennedy Tallahassee Bureau Chief October 2, 2005 TALLAHASSEE -- Attorney General Charlie Crist said Saturday that he has raised more than $1.5 million in his campaign for governor during the latest fund-raising quarter. This brings his campaign total to more than $5.3 million, records filed with the state elections office show. Crist said he expects to release final totals for the quarter that ended Friday later this week, with detailed reports due the following week. Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, Crist's rival for the Republican nomination, had no plans to release any preliminary totals this weekend, spokesman Alberto Martinez said. During the previous fundraising quarter -- the first for both Republican contenders since they announced their candidacies in the spring -- Crist had raised $3.8 million to Gallagher's $3 million. "The over $5 million we have raised for the campaign shows a broad range of Floridians are willing to invest in the general's vision for Florida," said Meredith O'Rourke, Crist's finance director. The leading Democrats in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Jeb Bush have not released any recent fundraising totals. But U.S. Rep. Jim Davis of Tampa, Sen. Rod Smith of Alachua and former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox all had reported earlier fundraising totals far behind those of the Republican contenders. John Kennedy can be reached at jkennedy@orlandosentinel.com or 850-222-5564.

[Quaker]

Charlie is the best candidate for Governor in Florida.