FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Republican gubernatorial hopeful David
Williams flexed his fundraising muscle by amassing more than
$750,000 in campaign funds that mostly came in the final two months
of last year.
Williams, the powerful president of the Kentucky Senate, made up
for a delayed fundraising start by collecting $647,021 in November
and December, his campaign said in a press release Wednesday.
The Burkesville Republican entered the race in September but put
his fundraising on hold until after the November election so he
wouldn't sop up any money that could have gone to GOP candidates on
last year's ballot.
Williams is running against Louisville businessman Phil Moffett
in the Republican gubernatorial primary this spring.
Moffett spokesman David Adams said Moffett's fundraising total
for the last quarter would be far less than Williams' sum, but
shrugged off the disparity by saying Williams has "the inside
track on all the insider fundraising."
Adams said that money won't decide the outcome of the GOP
primary.
"As the tea party tunes into this race, David Williams won't be
able to spend enough money to hide the truth about his record,"
Adams said.
Both Williams and Moffett openly courted support from the
grassroots group by attending campaign events for tea party
favorite Rand Paul, a conservative Republican who won Kentucky's
U.S. Senate election last year.
Both Republican gubernatorial candidates need to play catch-up
with Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, who, according to campaign
finance reports, had raised $3.1 million as of Sept. 30 in his bid
for a second term.
Williams proved his fundraising prowess by raising about
$500,000 from a single event late last year in Lexington. Williams
also made a $100,000 loan to his campaign.
Williams, who is running with state Agriculture Commissioner
Richie Farmer, a former University of Kentucky basketball standout,
reported raising $753,196 as of Dec. 31. Williams has received more
than 1,000 donations, with at least one contribution for all 120
Kentucky counties, his campaign said.
University of Kentucky political scientist Stephen Voss called
it a "respectable start, but of course he's going to need more
money than that by the time he's done."
Voss said Williams' high-profile post as Senate president would
be an asset in terms of gaining attention.
"With his platform in the legislature he's not going to have
difficulty attracting attention for free," Voss said. "So money's
not as important for a candidate like Williams as it is for someone
who is not in office or is in a more obscure office."
Williams' campaign noted that he is outpacing non-incumbent
gubernatorial candidates from previous campaigns.
At the same time in 2003, Republican Ernie Fletcher had raised
$509,360. During the same year, Democrat Ben Chandler had raised
$268,500. Fletcher went on to defeat Chandler in that year's
general election.
In 2007, Beshear reported raising $219,019 before Jan. 1 as a
challenger to Fletcher.
Also running are Democrat Otis Hensley, a Harlan County scrap
metal dealer, and perennial candidate Gatewood Galbraith, an
independent.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)