Greg Steube widens fund raising lead in House race
Wednesday, Jul 15th 2009
Bradenton Herald
By MARC R. MASFERRER
mmasferrer@bradenton.com
MANATEE — The Republican primary is still more than a year away, but Greg Steube has widened his fundraising lead over three other candidates running for the District 67 seat in the Florida House.
Steube, son of Manatee Sheriff Brad Steube, collected $46,646 in contributions during the second quarter of this year, April through June, according to finance reports filed with the Florida Division of Elections. That brought his
total haul so far to almost $108,000.
Steube, a Bradenton attorney, has spent a little more than $10,300, leaving him with just less than $100,000 in cash on hand, according to reports.
“I am pleased with my fund raising this quarter, and even more pleased that almost all my contributions and contributors are from the district, which encompasses portions of Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota counties,” Steube said in an e-mail.
Steube benefited from two recent fund-raisers, one at the home of state Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, and another at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa.
“This level of support from the district in these trying economic times demonstrates the widespread local support I have been honored and humbled to receive,” said Steube, who has won numerous high-profile endorsements,
including from incumbent Rep. Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton, who cannot run for re-election because of term limits.
The second-biggest fund raiser in the race, Robert K. McCann, collected $21,865 in contributions during the second quarter, bringing his total take to a little more than $52,600, according to finance reports. McCann, a Lakewood Ranch attorney and physician, has spent more than $13,000 on the race so far, leaving him with about $40,000 cash on hand.
The bulk of McCann’s second-quarter contributions came from physicians and other donors who live outside the district. For example, the American Association of Physicians, which is based in Tampa, held a fund raiser for McCann in San Diego, McCann said.
“I’m really just starting to raise money, and just starting to put a campaign team together,” he said.
McCann said he was not worried about Steube’s large fund-raising lead, noting that he was in process of building a finance committee.
“It doesn’t give me any pause, we’re just beginning,” McCann said.
A third candidate in the race, Sarasota businessman Jeremiah Joseph Guccione, raised $6,375 during the second quarter. He has raised a total of $26,660, and spent $3,000. He has narrowed some of the gap with Steube by loaning his campaign $50,000, giving him a cash-on-hand amount of $74,000, according to reports.
The fourth candidate, Marie Nisco, a member of the Sarasota County charter review commission, has reported no financial activity by her campaign.
No Democrats have entered the race.
The Republican primary is Aug. 24, 2010, and the general election is Nov. 2, 2010.
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