Governor Steve Beshear Is Rolling In Campaign Cash, Raises $1.27 Million In Quarter, Brings Current Total To $5 Million.

Beshear raises $1.27 million for campaign in first three months of year
By Jack Brammer

FRANKFORT — Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and his running mate, former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, raised $1.27 million in the first three months of this year for their campaign.

The total raised by the Beshear-Abramson campaign so far is $4.8 million. It reported having $3.3 million on hand in the campaign’s quarterly finance update filed with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

“I am grateful for the support of Kentuckians of our hard work to bring economic recovery and prosperity to every community,” Beshear said in a statement. “Though I remain focused on creating jobs and running an efficient and lean state government, I am nevertheless pleased with the campaign’s fund-raising success.”

The campaign said in a news release that it has received donations from more than 7,700 contributors from all 120 counties in the state.

The Beshear-Abramson ticked is unopposed in the May 17 Democratic primary election.

Beshear’s campaign manager, Bill Hyers, said the money raised is for the primary election but it can be transferred into an account for November’s general election when that acccount is opened after the primary.

Republican tickets for the state’s highest office are Senate President David Williams with state Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer, Louisville businessman Phil Moffett with state Rep. Mike Harmon of Danville, and Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw with Bill Vermillion, a former Navy veteran from Caneyville.

No GOP ticket has matched Beshear in raising funds. Their latest campaign finance reports are due by Wednesday.

Williams has banked more than $1 million so far and Moffett has taken in less than $100,000. Holsclaw’s campaign last week reported her campaign collecting just $7,240 during its first two full months but she said she will amend it to reflect fund raisers that were not included in the initial total.

Of Beshear’s fund raising, Moffett’s campaign manager, David Adams, said, “Beating Steve Beshear in the fall requires a candidate who isn’t up to his neck in the overspending of the last four years.

“David Williams has voted for several of Beshear’s tax increases and all of his accumulated debt and has demoralized conservatives across Kentucky. Only Phil Moffett and the Tea Party can win in November.”

Holsclaw’s campaign spokeswoman, Sarah Reidy, said, “We are focused on winning the May 17 primary. We know that we will receive a lot of bi-partisan support in the fall, just as Bobbie has done in her past four successful elections in Jefferson County. She wins a county that is 2-to-1 registered Democrat by a 2-to-1 margin and we feel that November will be no different.”

Williams’ campaign manager, Scott Jennings, said, “We are confident that we’ll have the resources necessary to run an aggressive and ultimately successful campaign this fall.”