Democrats Outraised GOP Incumbents in 3 Florida Races

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Democrats outraised GOP incumbents in 3 Florida races
By Lesley Clark | McClatchy Newspapers

* Posted on Tuesday, April 15, 2008


WASHINGTON — Democratic challengers in three critical House races to unseat South Florida Republicans raised more money than the incumbents during the first three months of the year, campaign finance reports show.

The races to defeat Miami's longtime Republican representatives, brothers Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, became the focus of anger among Democratic party activists last month after two key Florida Democrats refused to help the challengers because of their relationships with the incumbents.

Previously, the three incumbents have faced only token opposition to their re-elections. But Democrats said the fundraising numbers show that all three could be beaten by their current challengers.

"If anyone was still wondering, it's `Game on,' '' said Jeff Garcia, who helped recruit Democratic candidates and works as a media consultant for two of the challengers, Annette Taddeo, who is trying to unseat Ros-Lehtinen, and former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez, who is challenging Lincoln Diaz-Balart. "They have all crossed a very important credibility and viability threshold." Taddeo, the last candidate to get in the race, reported raising more than $321,511 in just over a month, including a $180,000 loan she made to herself.

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