U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hasner had a pretty good fundraising quarter, reporting he raised more than $560,000. But compared to Florida Senate President and fellow Republican Mike Haridopolos (who reported raising $900k, on top of $2.5m before), it's a little on the small side.
So what's Hasner to do?
Brag about it, tar his opponent as an"establishment" darling of "special interests." No mention of the fact that Hasner was an establishment figure as Republican leader of the Florida House of Representatives, which routinely does the bidding of special interests like the Florida Senate. Hey, the outsider mantle worked for Sen. Marco Rubio (a former Florida House Speaker) in his improbable win over Gov. Charlie Crist last year, so why not?
Well, Hasner is no Rubio.
But he is a good speaker. And he has some of Rubio's team, who produced a pretty good press release, noting they have a broader base of support than Haridopolos and can therefore re-tap some of these donors if Hasner catches fire:
NewsFlash: Hasner Raises Less Than Establishment
~But building right campaign to take them on.~
Boca Raton, FL - U.S Senate candidate Adam Hasner's first report since announcing his candidacy on April 23 will show he raised more than $560,000 - less than the special interest fundraising hauls expected from his more moderate, establishment opponents.
"We always expected the two establishment opponents to start off raising more money than us, because that's what the establishment does," stated Hasner. "But we'll ultimately win this race because of our positive conservative principles and a growing grassroots movement that's looking for leaders who'll stand up to Democrats and Republicans who act like them. Thanks to a growing and energized grassroots base, today is a great start for our campaign and a promising foundation for the long haul."
Already, State Senate President Mike Haridopolos has raised millions in Tallahassee special-interest cash, while former U.S. Senator George LeMieux is expected to rake in a hefty sum from Washington insiders and special interests. These establishment campaigns are relying on large one-time contributions from donors who are now maxed out.
Like many successful conservative candidates last cycle, Hasner's campaign is being built with small dollar donors who can multiply their investment over time. Nearly 2,000 contributors from across Florida and throughout the country combined to donate more $560,000 to Adam's campaign.
To date, more than 98% of the money Hasner raised is dedicated toward the primary. More than 90% of Hasner's contributors have the ability to donate repeatedly in future quarters. And the overwhelming majority - more than 85% - donated less than $1,000.
"Obviously, we're not going to out-raise our opponents right out of the gate," said advisor Rick Wilson. "One of them is running the Charlie Crist special-interest, establishment campaign plan. And the other one wrote it. Our approach is fundamentally different: we're going to win this race, not by making deals with Tallahassee insiders or compromising our principles with the Washington establishment, but holding firm on principle and keeping the faith with conservative grassroots donors. We're also building a campaign that can go toe-to-toe with Bill Nelson next fall."
The campaign is still finalizing the quarterly report due on July 15th, but will show over $560,000 raised with a low burn rate and approximately $470,000 cash on hand.
Comments