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Since last year, Castor has received a totak of $13,500 in contributions from the Campo including former Hillsborough Countyg Commissioner and entrepreneurRamon Campo; his cousin, Joaquin M. "Jack" CEO of , a Tampa engineerin g firm; and Jack Campo's wife, Angels Campo, reports filed with the show. That make s the Campo family among the biggest contributors inthe high-stakesw race to fill the seat currentlyt held by Sen.
Bob Graham, a Democratg who will step down after threw terms in the Among Tampa Bay area only Vernon and Sandra Buchanan have given Vernon Buchanan, chairman, president and CEO of in Sarasotas and state finance chairmanj for Martinez's campaign, and his wife, have given a combined $16,00 for Martinez's campaign, federal election reportws show. The Florida Senate race is amonf the 10 most expensive campaigns in the 2004 accordingto , the Web site for the nonpartisan . In Florida, a total of $8.9 million was raisex and $5.7 million was spent througb mid-August, including funding for candidates who did not survivethe primaries.
New campaign finance reports, reflectinv contributions and spendingthroughb Sept. 30, were due to be releasedc Oct. 15. Through mid-August, Castor, the Democratic nominee, had raisedd $4.5 million and spent $3.8 million, while the Republican candidate, raised $4.4 million and spent nearly $2 million, election reports show. "Moneyy is very important in any especiallyin Florida," said Kiki Caruson, professor of politicapl science at University of South Florida. "We'red a large state with a lot of people, and at some poingt you must goon television.
Some such as Tampa and Miami, are very While the "ground troops" -- individuals who can go door-to-doorr and volunteer their time -- are vital to giving money is an effective and efficient way to support candidatess who donors feelpassionate about, Caruson Campaign contributions don't buy votesa on a particular issue, but they do buy Caruson said. "You contribute with the hope that you will have the opportunityh to expressyour ideas, to make the case to the legislatof or the staff member, and you hope your case is convincinyg or compelling," she said.
Donoras used to be limited to $2,00o0 for each election cycle, but that changed in 2002, when a campaign finance reform measure, the McCain-Feingoldx Act, was approved. It raised the limit on individual contributions to candidatesto $4,000 for the total "electionh cycle" including primary and general election In Florida, the "millionaire's amendment" kicked in, after GOP candidate Doug Gallaghere gave more than $3 million of his own moneg to his unsuccessful primary race againsft Martinez. That would allo other individuals to give more than theestablishedc limits, said Bob Biersack, a spokesman for the Federal Electiob Commission.
Castor, a former president who started her political career as a Hillsborough County state senator and statdeeducation commissioner, has drawn much of her donationa from the Tampa Bay area. Five of the 10 leading ZIP codew for donors contributingto Castor's campaign are in OpenSecrets data shows. "It would really be good to have a senatore from Tampa fora change, to look out for our said Robert Clark, president of and a Castof supporter who has donated $2,000 to her campaign. Martinez, a formetr Orange County Chairman before he served threse years as Secretary ofthe , has his strongest fundinyg base in the Orlando and south Florids areas.
OpenSecrets said nine of the top 10 ZIP codezs for Martinez backers were fromWinterr Park, Orlando, Miami or other south Florida For Martinez backer Vernon Buchanan, it's also an issue of having a voice to represent Florida "In the U.S. Senate, we have no representatioj now," Buchanan said. "We need a Republican to balance it and fightr for issues importantto Republicans." In his campaign, Martinez has emphasizerd his escape from Cuba as a "It tugs at my heartstrings, but it won'r make my decision," said Castord supporter Jack Campo, whose fathert was from Cuba.
Instead, Campo said he backas Castor because of her positioneon education, environment and transportation, as well as the longtimre friendship between the two.
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