TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) _ Florida Republicans are outraising their political opponents by 5-to-1. Campaign finance reports filed on Tuesday show that the Florida Democratic Party raised just $894,445 in cash for the fundraising quarter that ended on Sept. 30. The Republican Party of Florida reported raising $5.51 million in cash.
That's the lowest amount the Democrats have raised since late 2006. There are more registered Democratic voters in Florida, but in 2010 Republicans won every statewide election. Republicans also enjoy a supermajority in the Florida Legislature.
The latest fundraising reports do coincide with the Presidency 5 event held in Orlando that featured a GOP presidential debate and a straw poll taken of thousands of GOP activists.
The long list of major donors for both parties includes businesses that usually have issues pending before the Legislature.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, one of the state's biggest health insurers, donated $375,000 to the Republicans and $100,000 to the Democrats. Blue Cross has said recently it intends to start serving Medicaid patients. The GOP-controlled Legislature voted this year to shift all patients into managed care programs by 2014.
Republicans also took in $160,000 from a New York subsidiary of Genting. Genting recently acquired the site of the Miami Herald in downtown Miami and is seeking legislative approval to build a major resort casino there.
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