Elections

Dems Upset Over Leadership Decision To Withdraw Funds From Senate Race In Florida

Kerry Picket Political Reporter
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The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee redirected millions of dollars in funds from Florida to other states, and top party members are not happy about it.

Politico reported Tuesday evening that outgoing Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and Florida donors became upset when New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer and DSCC Chairman Montana Sen. Jon Tester decided that less-expensive advertising markets in North Carolina, Missouri and Indiana provided the party with an opportunity to take the majority from Republicans without exclusively putting all the money on a win in Florida.

Reid viewed defeating Rubio as an ultimate prize and guarantee that the young senator could not threaten Clinton’s re-election chances in 2020 if she is elected in 2 weeks. The Sun Sentinel reports Rubio’s campaign raised around $20 million through September 30, as opposed to his Democratic challenger Florida Rep. Patrick Murphy who raised $11 million.

“I understand it’s not Chuck Schumer’s job to worry about presidential politics,” Obama’s 2008 Florida state director Steve Schale told Politico. But “we’re all going to look a little dumb if Rubio wins by 80,000 votes and announces for president in two years.”

Rubio already raised $17.2 million more than he did in his first run for the Senate in 2010, and it also surpasses the 2012 war chest of fellow Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat, by almost $17 million.

The neck and neck race towards the finish line in the Sunshine State, according to political observers, means a push for media spending is a high priority.

“Florida is probably one of the biggest competitive states. There are a lot of media markets all over the state. It costs a lot money to run in Florida,” David Keating, president of the Center for Competitive Politics, told The Sentinel.

“If a campaign wants a saturation advertising campaign across all of the Florida media markets, they need to plan to spend millions,” said Kevin Wagner, a political science professor at Florida Atlantic University. “Campaigns also want to spend on grass-roots campaigning such as door knocking.”

Murphy, however, remains optimistic of his chances against Rubio telling Politico, “I’m grateful for any support. But we’re going to win with or without them.”

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