Reed Campaign Makes History, Shatters Fundraising Records

$1.8 Million Raised Gives Reed Largest Cash Advantage for any Lt. Governor Candidate, Republican or Democrat, Entering Election Year in Georgia History  

Duluth, Georgia - Ralph Reed, Republican candidate for Lt. Governor, today released year-end fundraising totals that shattered all previous fundraising records by a non-incumbent Lt. Gubernatorial candidate in the state's history.  Preliminary figures show that the campaign received over $1.8 million in contributions from 1,850 donors in 2005.

Georgia's Secretary of State's office requires candidates for statewide office to file a year-end report to disclose financial contributions.

Reed enters 2006 with the largest fundraising advantage in a primary ever for a candidate for Lt. Governor.  His $1.8 million total gives him a financial advantage over his primary opponent of $510,175.  Previous year-end financial advantages by fundraising leaders were $91,392 in 2001 and $167,219 in 1997.  Reed's lead is significant because no one has won the Republican nomination for Lt. Governor who did not raise the most funds in the year prior to the election.  

Reed figures that with $1.4 million remaining in the bank, he can make up a lot of lost ground in the months before the primary. But it is astounding that at this critical juncture in his faltering campaign, Reed takes the offense by trumpeting that he's the guy with the most money. Instead of bailing him out, that just makes voters wonder where all the money flowed from. Reed was a boy wonder once; this week, he's a political nincompoop for bragging about how much money he's raked in.

by jhutson on Sat Jan 14, 2006 at 07:50:07 AM EST

Definitely, don't count Ralph Reed out ....

Reed was quoted in the 11/9/91 Norfolk Virginian-Pilot as saying:

"I want to be invisible. I do guerilla warfare. I paint my face and travel at night. You don't know it's over until you're in a body bag. You don't know until election night."

Reed reportedly bragged to Newsweek about his stealth strategies:

"We've learned how to move under the radar in the cover of the night with shrubbery strapped to our helmets," the Christian Coalition's Reed told Newsday. "It's like being a good submarine captain: You come up, fire three missiles and then dive."