Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, the only Republican candidate for attorney general, said he raised more than $180,000 during the quarter, and noted that much of it came in in a two-and-a-half week period. But the L.G., as he's known, clearly isn't benefiting much from his affiliation with the state's reigning fund-raising machine, Gov. Charlie Crist. (The figure is from a campaign press release; as of this writing, Kottkamp's detailed report is not yet online).
Kottkamp's haul is not that impressive, other than the fact that it's a challenging fund-raising environment for most statewide candidates because of a multitude of open seats during a grinding recession. The Kottkamp total may not be enough to scare away an anticipated Republican primary challenge from Holly Benson, secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration and a former state representative from Pensacola, who is expected to announce her plans this week or next.
– Steve Bousquet
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