Bill Nelson Stocking Cash for Re-Election Bid
Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) raised about $1.4 million during the fourth quarter of 2011. His campaign said it had $8.4 million in cash on hand at the end of December.
“The figures reflect strong support for Sen. Nelson,” campaign representative Christian Robinson said in a statement. “Meantime, the Senator remains focused on doing his job for Florida. He’s always believed that if you do your job the politics will take care of itself.”
The two-term Senator will face the winner of a contested Republican primary among Rep. Connie Mack IV, former Sen. George LeMieux, former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, former Ruth’s Chris CEO Craig Miller and retired Army Col. Mike McCalister.
Republicans will do their best to tie Nelson to the president. In Florida polling over the last year, the president’s numbers have consistently trended below Nelson’s.
“Bill Nelson’s going to have to spend his way out of the hole he has dug while being Barack Obama’s biggest cheerleader and supporter in the U.S. Senate,” Hasner adviser Rick Wilson told Roll Call. “Barack Obama is a boat anchor around this guy’s neck.”
Mack raised $758,000 in the fourth quarter and had just less than $1 million in the bank at the end of December. He’s the frontrunner for the nomination in polls of GOP voters, but the primary is still more than seven months away.
Roll Call rates the Florida Senate race as Leans Democratic.
