Crist Cracks $1 Million; Scott Hits $25 Million Goal
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) - Charlie Crist made it into the millionaire's club three weeks after jumping into the race for governor as a Democrat.
"Charlie Crist for Florida," the political committee backing the one-time Republican governor, posted contributions totaling $1.28 million on its website as of Nov. 23. The soft money includes $100,000 from the Institute of Cardiovascular Excellence in Ocala.
Crist also raked in more than $36,000 at a fundraiser last week at the home of Tallahassee trial lawyer Don Hinkle, including $15,000 from lawyer Darryl Parks. Parks is a law partner of Benjamin Crump, the attorney who represents Trayvon Martin's parents.
Earlier this month, Crist's committee received $100,000 from Coral Gables retiree Barbara Stiefel, a longtime Democratic supporter who's also given big bucks to "super-PACs" backing President Obama and, this year, Hillary Clinton.
The cash doesn't include hard money given to Crist's campaign account. Those reports aren't due until next month.
Crist's committee drew less than a fifth of the nearly $5.84 million that "Let's Get to Work," the committee behind Gov. Rick Scott's re-election bid, brought in so far this month, according to that organization's website.
Scott, who hasn't officially filed his campaign papers yet or opened a campaign account, now has topped $25 million with the committee. That's the amount Scott told The National Review in July he would nail down by the end of this year to use early in 2014 "to define my opponent."
Scott netted more than $200,000 from insurance companies this month, including at least $75,000 from Jacksonville-based insurance giant Florida Blue.
The committee garnered more than $375,000 from donors, including $50,000 from GOP heavyweight Tom Petway, in Northeast Florida, home to Scott's chief of staff Adam Hollingsworth, over a two-day period last week.
"The News Service of Florida contributed to this report."
