Giuliani raises
$15 million for GOP primary

Rudy Giuliani raised $15 million for his Republican presidential primary bid from April through June, boosting his New York fund-raising base and more than doubling his donations from Florida.

The former New York mayor spent $11 million during that period, leaving him $14.6 million in the bank for the primary at the end of the second quarter, according to a financial report his campaign filed Friday with the Federal Election Commission.

Overall, Giuliani amassed $17.5 million from donors and political action committees in the quarter, but about $2.6 million is designated for the general election and can only be used if he wins the Republican nomination.

Giuliani is expected to lead the Republican field in fund-raising for the second quarter and should end the period with the most cash on hand.

The money advantage comes as good news for Giuliani who leads in national polls over other top Republican contenders such as Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. Giuliani also leads Law & Order actor and former senator Fred Thompson, who is considering entering the presidential contest.

Giuliani tapped his home state of New York, California and Texas for $7.4 million. California and New York are fund-raising meccas for national political candidates. Giuliani has a vast network of contacts in Texas; he is a partner in the Houston-based law firm of Bracewell & Giuliani.

He also raised $1.5 million in New Jersey, a state where he is well-known from his days as a New York mayor and U.S. attorney. Significantly, Giuliani raised $1.7 million in Florida, more than twice the amount he raised in the state during the first three months of the year.

Giuliani has been spending considerable time in Florida raising money, but he is also establishing a political foothold in the state. The Florida primary is scheduled for Jan. 29.

Giuliani was the first leading presidential candidate to file his second quarter report with the FEC. The deadline for submitting detailed finances to the FEC is midnight Sunday. (AP)