Tim Pawlenty held a fundraiser Wednesday night in Minneapolis, billed as the “kick-off fundraiser” for his likely presidential campaign.
About 400 people were in attendance, according to Pawlenty spokesperson Alex Conant.
“We raised about $800,000 at fundraisers in Texas and Chicago last week,” said a Pawlenty advisor by way of comparison. “We raised more last night alone.”
Conant said that the success reflected the gratitude of people in Pawlenty’s home state for the job he did as governor.
“Governor Pawlenty spent the last eight years fighting hard to cut spending, and Minnesota conservatives appreciate that,” said Conant. “Governor Pawlenty is a new face nationally, and the early and deep support of his long-time supporters in Minnesota has helped get us off to a strong start.”
Pawlenty is still in the exploratory committee phase of a presidential run, but he is expected to officially announce his candidacy in the coming weeks.
By way of comparison, another likely candidate, Mitt Romney, raised $10.25 million in a day of fundraising in Nevada on Monday.