Crist's fundraising is down in 2nd quarter

Gov. Charlie Crist says he raised $1.8 million in the second quarter of 2010 for his U.S. Senate campaign, which suggests his fundraising ability has declined, but not collapsed, since he left the Republican Party to run as a no-party candidate.

And even though Republican Marco Rubio is now raising money much faster than Crist, Crist still holds a substantial lead - at least for the time being - in cash in the bank.

Crist's campaign says it will report to the Federal Election Commission that it now has $8.2 million cash on hand.

Rubio, meanwhile, will report about $4.4 million in the bank.

Last Monday, Rubio announced he had raised a record-setting $4.5 million in the second quarter of the year. The two candidates have now raised close to the same amount in the campaign overall - about $11.5 million for Rubio and $12 million for Crist.

But Rubio has had to spend heavily on advertising, direct mail, and extensive travel to compete with the better-known governor.

Crist, meanwhile, has been able to use the power of his office, particularly his official actions in connection with the Gulf oil spill, to keep his name and face before the voters.

On the Democratic side of the race, self-funding billionaire Jeff Greene announced late Thursday that his campaign has spent almost $5.9 million since he entered the race at the end of April, nearly all of it money he loaned the campaign or loans he guaranteed. He raised only $3,036.

His leading opponent in the Democratic primary, Kendrick Meek, reports raising $1 million in the second quarter of the year, and now has $4 million in cash on hand.

"Jeff is self-financing the campaign. We want to be independent of special interests and only beholden to the people of Florida," his spokesman Paul Blank said about the figures.

Blank said the Greene contributions came from individuals who donated through the campaign's website, giving $100 or less each, the campaign's limit.

But Meek spokesman Adam Sharon said Greene "has a supporter of one - himself," and accused Greene of "using the money he made off the backs of middle-class homeowners ... to buy a Florida Senate seat."

Earlier this week, discussing his fundraising, Crist said, "It's what's in the bank that matters," and said he was happy with his campaign's financial picture.

The ability to continue bringing in money also matters, however, and Rubio's fundraising rate has escalated sharply since Crist's break with the party at the end of April.

Rubio's $4.5 million for April, May and June broke a quarterly fundraising record of $4.3 million set by Crist last year while he was still in the GOP.

In the first three months of the year, a period when Crist's relationship with party leaders was beginning to deteriorate, he raised $1.14 million while Rubio brought in $3.5 million.

Crist's $1.8 million for the second quarter is a 60 percent increase over the first quarter, his campaign noted.