CA-Sen: Carly Fiorina Raises $1.1 Million for Senate Campaign in Two Months While Chuck DeVore Moans

Hat Tip to my California Boomer Sooner buddy Flap

Republican United States Senate candidate Carly Fioria in San Deigo
(visitng Hawthorne Power Systems)

Remember former CEO of Hewlett-Packard Carly Fiorina announced her candidacy for the United States Senate from California on November 4, 2009. In the meantime, she has raised over $1 million for her campaign.

From the press release:

Since the official launch of her campaign 60 days ago, support for Fiorina’s candidacy has continued to grow with more than $1 million in financial support coming in large part from Californians in nearly 500 cities and towns across the state. Eighty three percent of all donations are in amounts of less than $250 and the overall average donation amount to Carly’s campaign is less than $350. Carly’s online fundraising has raised $232,000.

In addition, Carly and her husband Frank have personally invested in her campaign. She has loaned the campaign $2.5 million. Click here to view a PDF of the summary page of Carly’s first fundraising quarter.

The Fiorina campaign reports having over $2.7 million of campaign cash on hand.

Whereas, her opponent for the Republican nomination California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore reports far less in receipts. I have reported Chuck DeVore’s lack of fundraising ability before – both here and here.

Yet, DeVore sends out his spokeshole Josh Trevino to try to spin the shortfall and his lack of campaign fundraising ability.

The DeVore campaign argues that it’s been able to do more with less, by keeping the race a dead heat despite Fiorina’s higher spending. According to the DeVore campaign, he has spent $352,000, compared to $830,000 spent by Fiorina.

“Carly Fiorina sunk well over twice the funds into her campaign, just to get to polling parity with Chuck DeVore,” DeVore spokesman Josh Trevino wrote in an email.

Trevino also cautioned that, “I wish to stress that the DeVore for California numbers here are only approximate. We don’t have final figures yet, but these are broadly correct.”

But, Chuck, Carly did not start fundraising until November of 2009 and you have been unable to raise money for over a year now.

And, what is this BS about polling parity? There hasn’t been a poll in this race for about two months and the last one only a week or so after Carly formally announced.

Keep moaning Chuck as Fiorina drops the targeted direct mail and runs television commercials while you can only twitter and watch.

McCain Expands High-Tech Toehold

McCain Expands High-Tech Toehold
By ELIZABETH HOLMES and MONICA LANGLEY
March 15, 2008; Page A4

WASHINGTON -- A pair of high-profile former Silicon Valley executives have signed on to help John McCain's presidential campaign, offering a boost to the presumptive Republican nominee's economic credentials and fund-raising abilities.

Meg Whitman, the retirement-bound chief executive of eBay Inc., joined the McCain team Friday as a national co-chairwoman. She made the move after more than a year as an adviser to Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts who ran a tough campaign against Sen. McCain.

Ms. Whitman joins Carly Fiorina, the former head of Hewlett-Packard Co., who was named the Republican National Committee's "Victory" chair earlier this month.

The business savvy of Ms. Whitman and Ms. Fiorina, as well as their networks and rolodexes, will help Sen. McCain and his party as they face worsening economic conditions and the Democratic money machine. The high-tech industry in particular is one that has given more heavily to Democrats than Republicans, so the duo could be particularly helpful to Sen. McCain.

He already has the help of longtime supporter John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems Inc., as both a fund-raiser and an adviser.

Ms. Whitman and Ms. Fiorina have known each other for years through their California-based technology companies and had dinner a few months ago. "We had a friendly disagreement over John and Mitt," Ms. Fiorina said. (The release announcing the addition of Ms. Whitman to the McCain team made no mention of her past involvement with the Romney campaign.)

While Ms. Fiorina, a longtime Republican, has made political contributions in the past, she has never assumed a political role until this one. However, her role as a campaign surrogate reminds her of her past effort on "road shows" during the Hewlett-Packard proxy battle several years ago. After heading the Palo Alto, Calif., computer maker for several years, Ms. Fiorina was forced out of the company in 2005 after battles with shareholders and directors. Shortly after, she said she might pursue politics or "public service."

Ms. Fiorina, 53 years old, plans to use her past experience to help "put to rest" the widespread criticism -- fueled in part by Sen. McCain's own comments -- that the senator isn't as strong on economic issues as he is on national security. "As a businessperson, I can vouch that his understanding and instincts about the economy are strong," she said in an interview Friday.

Ms. Fiorina first met Sen. McCain when she testified before Congress on Internet taxation, which she opposed. "He got it totally," she recalled. "He understood that government action can kill or motivate innovation and industry." She was an early supporter of Sen. McCain, even when his popularity declined last summer, and traveled in New Hampshire and other states when only a handful of people showed up.

Ms. Whitman is a newcomer to the McCain entourage. Her association with Mr. Romney dates back to his Bain Capital days in the late 1970s, according to longtime Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom.

Ms. Whitman, 51, hadn't been involved in Republican national politics until Mr. Romney announced his presidential bid early last year. She was a member of his inner circle and most prominent in his fund-raising team, helping him tap a network of millionaire investors and out fund-raise many of his competitors.

In late January, Ms. Whitman, who is reported to have political aspirations of her own, announced her intent to retire from eBay at the end of March. When Mr. Romney suspended his campaign last month, Ms. Whitman called him and asked about ways to stay active in the political scene, according to Mr. Fehrnstrom. Mr. Romney then "encouraged" her to get involved in Sen. McCain's campaign.

An eBay spokesman didn't return calls for comment.

Write to Elizabeth Holmes at elizabeth.holmes@wsj.com and Monica Langley at monica.langley@wsj.com

EBay's retiring chief may run for California governor