Marco Rubio’s campaign for the U.S. Senate announced Monday that it raised $4.5 million in the second fundraising quarter for 2010
Unless you’re an elected official already voting in Washington, D.C., that’s a lot of money.
“What I’m proudest of is how we raised our money,” Rubio said on a bloggers’ conference call Monday. “Ninety-nine percent of our donors are not maxed-out, which means they can give money again. That’s a big deal, because as you head down the stretch here, the ability to regenerate contributions is important.”
Despite the big fundraising totals, Rubio’s campaign gained support from the grassroots. The average contribution for his campaign so far was under $89. The average contribution in this quarter, where he raised the $4.5 million quarter, was $85.20, or 74 cents less than the average contribution for the entire campaign. “The spine and the backbone of our fundraising effort is … grassroots donors,” Rubio said, adding that his campaign has raised his money off a strong message.
Rubio also commented on whether opponent and sitting Florida Gov. Charlie Crist was using his office for political gain: “I don’t think anyone would dispute that.” Rubio pointed to Crist’s recent decision to call a special session of the Florida legislature to get an amendment to the state constitution banning offshore drilling on the November ballot, though it’s already illegal in Florida.
“I think everything that the Crist administration has done in their time in Florida has been about advancing a political agenda at the expense of public policy and the direction of our state,” Rubio said.
