Scott Powers
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum is breaking from the gate with $765,000 raised for his Democratic gubernatorial campaign in the first few weeks.
Gillum’s campaign is reporting Wednesday morning that he has raised that much and has $635,000 on hand at the time of his first-quarter 2017 campaign finance report, through the end of March.
Gillum is claiming grassroots support, contending that the donations include 3,500 on-line contributions and have come from 56 of Florida’s 67 counties.
It puts him in contention with but behind the leading Republican candidate, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, who is reporting that his campaign raised $872,000 in March and is likely to be reporting a total in the range of $1.1 million when the campaign finance reports are fully released in a couple of weeks.
There is no word yet from candidates and potential candidates. The only other major announced candidate is Orlando businessman Chris King, a Democrat, though Miami Beach Mayor Phil Levine and former state Rep. Gwen Graham are on the Democrats’ campaign trail.
Full details are not yet available on Gillum’s report.
“This resounding statement of early support proves that Andrew Gillum has the momentum to become the next Governor of Florida,” Gillum’s senior campaign advisor Sharon Lettman-Hicks declared in a press release. “Our campaign will continue to work to earn every vote in all corners of the state and invest in building the infrastructure needed to retake the governor’s mansion. After nearly 20 years of failed leadership in Florida, Andrew Gillum will be a Governor the Sunshine State can be proud of again.”
