“The greatest fundraiser in the history of the universe” may have found his perfect state.
Virginia’s permissive, uncapped campaign finance law has allowed donors big and small to fill the coffers of Terry McAuliffe’s gubernatorial campaign, helping him to live up to the label given him by former Vice President Al Gore.
McAuliffe hauled in $4,215,777 in the first three months of 2009, his first full quarter of fundraising.
That tally includes single contributions of more than $250,000 and less than $100. About $1.4 million came from 10 big donors, two of them Virginia-based.
His closest financial competitor, former Virginia Attorney General Robert McDonnell, the presumptive Republican nominee, brought in $2,219,387. McDonnell was, however, hamstrung by an inability to raise funds during the 45-day General Assembly session because of his state office.
As was state Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, who gathered $728,812 between January and March. McAuliffe’s other primary opponent, Brian Moran, stepped down from the House partly to avoid the in-session fundraising prohibition. His first-quarter total was $807,432.
Though the money race has a clear victor, early polls appear to tell a different story. A recent Rasmussen Reports survey found McDonnell ahead of all three Democratic candidates. He led Moran by 10 points, McAuliffe by 12 and Deeds by 15.
