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Local Money Is On Obama, Even As Clinton Leads Polls

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By BILLY HOUSE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 17, 2007

WASHINGTON - Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani enter the final months of their parties' presidential primary campaigns as the biggest recipients of Tampa Bay area money.

Although most polls show Giuliani also with a big edge in popularity among Florida Republicans over his rivals for the party's nomination, Obama's fundraising still has not translated into success cutting into New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's statewide polling leads over Democrats.

'Obviously, Obama has tapped into a vein of Democrats willing to send him money,' says Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

'But what's just as clear is that just because he's able to raise as much, or in some places more, money, that does not necessarily mean he can beat her in getting votes,' Brown said.

Altogether, donors from Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties have chipped in nearly $1.5 million this year to the top Democrat and Republican presidential candidates, shows a Tampa Tribune analysis of updated federal campaign filings.

A total of $514,276 of that has come to them just during July, August and September, according to those reports from the candidates filed this week with the Federal Election Commission.

The new campaign reports also show that Florida over those months continued to hold its status among the top six fundraising states for all seven of the top presidential contenders - three Democrats and four Republicans.

Clinton Leads In Statewide Money

Clinton led in money collected from throughout Florida since July - taking in $1.4 million of the total $5 million given to presidential candidates.

Giuliani was next, raising $960,210 in the state since July, then Obama with $814,489.

It was Obama, however, who led all candidates in receiving cash specifically from the Tampa Bay area, raising $146,434 since July from Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco. That brought his total since January to $360,725 from the three counties.

That compares with Clinton's $180,140 raised from the area since January, and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards' $132,011.

On the GOP side, Giuliani led the scramble for Tampa Bay area dollars, receiving $139,075 over July, August and September for a total since January of $325,324.

That compares with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's $277,072 raised from the Tampa Bay area since January; and Arizona Sen. John McCain's $100,320.

Giuliani has continued to outpace the GOP field with the inclusion of actor and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, the latest entry in the race.

Thompson's filing - which reflects not just July, August and September, but, unlike the other candidates, also June - shows he raised $70,270 in Hillsborough County alone during those months.

Altogether, Thompson has taken in $105,320 from the area in just four months - more than McCain has taken in for the entire year.

Obama's showing locally mirrors the ability he has exhibited nationwide to keep pace with - and in some areas surpass - Clinton's fundraising. She reported raising a $23.7 million nationwide, compared with his $19.3 million over July, August and September.

Obama Has Key Local Supporter

Hillsborough County Democratic Party Chairman Michael Suarez said he believes a key to Obama's success in the Tampa Bay area was his ability to get Tampa's Frank Sanchez, a key Florida fundraiser and organizer, signed on to his national financial committee and local fundraising efforts.

'I will say that there are on both sides some very heavy hitters here trying to raise some money,' Suarez said. But Sanchez, he said, is well-known and looked upon locally as somebody people feel comfortable in giving money to.

'There's very few people as effective as Frank in fundraising,' said Suarez, who has not committed to any candidate.

Also boosting Obama is that he has held a couple of fundraisers in the area that have greatly benefited him, but Clinton has not done a lot of fundraising here, Suarez said. On Sunday, former President Clinton will headline a fundraiser for his wife in Miami.

Despite Obama's strong fundraising in Florida and elsewhere, he continues to lag in the polls in most areas of the country.

In Florida, a Quinnipiac poll released last week showed that Democrats in Florida prefer Clinton by 51 to 17 percent.

'Both Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton are very good at raising money,' said Quinnipiac's Brown.

Brown said it's possible that some pollsters may not be picking up all the Obama support that is being suggested by his money totals.

Conversely, Brown said that Clinton's substantial poll leads over Obama in Florida and most other states are so many times greater than a poll's typical margin of error that it is unlikely underreported Obama support would significantly change what the polls show.

'The value of money in politics should not be underestimated,' Brown said.

'On the other hand, Sen. Clinton has been a favorite of Democratic activists for 16 years,' he said.

Reporter Billy House can be reached at (202) 662-7673 or bhouse@tampatrib.com.

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