Daily Santorum: Fundraising blues
More on this later, but as expected it was a rough fundraising quarter for Rick Santorum -- the GOP presidential hopeful had just $229,114 in cash after raising $582,347 in 2nd quarter.
The FEC report is here.
Santorum said last weekend that he would show less than $2 million, which is true -- and really understated, unless he has some other money elsewhere. (His America's Foundation PAC had $102,858 at the end of 2010. The campaign says the PAC raised $489,866 this year.) Santorum has been saying he's running a "conservative" grassroots campaign that depends on a lot of volunteers and shoeleather, but one has to wonder how far that can go against Mitt Romney's $18 million and counting, or even Tim Pawlenty's $4.2 million. Maybe not much farther than next month's Ames straw poll. (He announced a coordinator for the Ames effort today. Info after the jump.)
No wonder he was driving between Iowa and Pittsburgh around the fundraising deadline -- that's a Joe Sestakian 11-hour trip, by the way.
A statement from the campaign stressed Santorum had little time to collect funds:
"In the short amount of time since Senator Santorum has been a candidate for president, he was able to raise a significant amount of resources. It is worth noting that Senator Santorum didn't hold his first official fundraiser until June 22, and between that day and June 30, he raised nearly half of the money he raised as an official presidential candidate," said Amanda Kornegay, finance director for Rick Santorum for President.
"Since announcing for president on June 6, Senator Santorum has seen success in many ways. In addition to raising more than a half million dollars in three weeks, Senator Santorum's has earned significant endorsements in the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, has had several straw poll victories and had commanding performances in the first two debates," said Mike Biundo, national political director for Rick Santorum for President. "Senator Santorum's commitment to visiting the early states more than any other candidate is paying off."
But he keeps pounding the pavement. The latest payoff was the endorsement last night from Ben Lange (at left in photo), a prominent Iowa conservative who nearly beat 1st District Democratic congressman Bruce Braley last year, coming up short by just 2 points.
"Conservatives are hungry for a candidate with the ability to articulate conservative principles, apply those principles to the serious economic problems we now face, and ultimately lead a national conservative movement," Lange said in a statement released by the campaign.
"Senator Santorum has proven he can lead on the national stage, having fought for and won key battles for the conservative movement. As my fellow Iowans learn more about Sen. Santorum and all that he has achieved, I believe they will find the candidate they have been looking for. I look forward to working with the Senator and his campaign to win the Iowa Caucuses."
List of new campaign hires in Iowa here:
Steven Munoz will implement the Santorum campaign's Ames Straw Poll strategy. Previously, Munoz served as statewide coordinator for the Gresham Barrett for Governor (R-SC) campaign and as executive assistant for Stovall Witte for Congress (R-SC). Munoz is a graduate of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in Charleston, SC, where he served as class president for three years, as well as being awarded the Reuben B. Pitts III Memorial Award and the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.
Betsy DeFord will serve as a Field Representative for the Santorum campaign in Iowa. DeFord previously worked for the National Right to Work Committee as well as on Senator Rand Paul's successful campaign for U.S. Senate in Kentucky.
Jake Braunger will serve as a Field Representative for the Santorum campaign in Iowa. Braunger previously served as a Ronald Reagan Fellow for the Barry Goldwater Institute and for Rep. Steve King (R-IA). Braunger is a graduate of Iowa State University and holds a MA from the University of Denver.
Zack Garrison will serve as a Field Representative for the Santorum campaign in Iowa. Prior to joining the Santorum campaign, Garrison worked on Governor Nikki Haley's successful campaign for Governor of South Carolina as well as Alan Wilson's successful campaign for South Carolina Attorney General.
Johnny Sublett will serve as a Field Representative for the Santorum campaign in Iowa. Prior to joining the Rick Santorum for President campaign, Sublett worked on the successful campaign of Congressman Tim Scott (R-SC).