Recent polling has shown a 5-8 point lead for Republican Bill McCollum in the Florida gubernatorial race. Democrat Alex Sink, however, has the fundraising lead. She has raised $2.3 million for her campaign account so far, and McCollum is behind with $1 million. But Sink has been raising money much longer than McCollum.
The Tampa Tribune explains why Sink was able to raise so much more:
For McCollum, his quarterly number represents the total amount he has raised, since he was not collecting donations for re-election as attorney general prior to launching his campaign for governor on May 18. Sink, the state’s chief financial officer, had been raising cash for re-election for months when she jumped into the governor’s race on May 13. A campaign spokesman confirmed that Sink transferred the re-election money to her gubernatorial campaign fund.
McCollum has only been in the race for six weeks, so he has proven himself capable of bringing in cash quickly. In the second quarter, Sink only raised $1.3 million. Overall, McCollum still has an advantage in the race.