Broward-Palm Beach’s $5 Million-Plus Senate Race
BY BUDDY NEVINS
The three- way Republican battle for the open Palm Beach and Broward state Senate seat is on the way towards setting local spending records — $5 million-plus.
State Rep Ellyn Bogdanoff of Fort Lauderdale already announced she wants to raise a minimum $1.5 million for the seat.
A campaign source for Nick Loeb of Delray Beach says that candidate’s goal is $3 million.
The third Republican’s in the race, wealthy investment manager state Rep. Carl Domino of Jupiter, will easily spend seven-figures.
Thousands are out of work in Broward and these three candidates want to spend millions getting elected to a job that pays, what, $30,000.
There is something obscene about that….but that’s American politics.
So far Loeb is ahead with more than $232,000 raised as of June 30.
Bogdanoff had $122,575. Domino had $113,000, which included $110,000 of his own money.
More impressive:
Loeb hasn’t even tapped into his personal wealth yet. He’s the scion of the Loeb Rhodes financial fortune.
Despite never holding office, young Loeb has a big advantage his Dad. John L. Loeb Jr., is GOP blue blood, with tentacles into the deepest pockets of the national Republican party.
Dad was Ronald Reagan’s Ambassador to Denmark and the United Nations. Dad also is a godson of Governor Nelson Rockefeller. Grandma was New York Governor Herbert Lehman’s sister.
Fund raisers are planned in the places where the high-rolling GOP crowd park their Rolls Hobe Sound; the Hamptons; Greenwich, Connecticut; Short Hills, New Jersey; Grosse Pointe, Michigan; upscale Philadelphia and Fisher Island.
The first big out-of-town Loeb event was last week in the Eastside Manhattan, NY townhouse of Dad.
Lots of “Muffies in lime green toting $5,000 Hermes Birkin handbags. And “Trip or “Trevors shuffling around in Gucci loafers.
One guest’s legal client may not please everyone:
The event hosts included Mark Mukasey, a son of one of George W. Bush’s U.S. Attorney General’s, Michael Mukasey. Mukasey is an attorney representing an associate of Bernard Madoff, causing his father to recuse himself from the Madoff case.
Other guests include Rick Lazio, former congressman who is running for New York governor; actress Dina Merrill, the daughter of Post Cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post who has been in more than 20 movies and GOP hitman Roger Stone, who hangs his hat at Rothstein, Rosenfeldt and Adler.
The New York event raised $60,000. If Loeb can keep up this momentum, watch out!!!
(A personal aside: My son, Aaron Nevins, works for Bogdanoff’s legislative office.)
July 15th, 2009 at 8:41 am
Buddy- I agree it is obscene that a state senate race would see $5 million raised and spent. That said, I am doubtful that we will really see that strong a fund raising season for these or any state legislative candidates who work within the confines of $500 limits. Of course, CCE and 527 action will drive up expenditures- but if they drive to $5 million, the public should be very suspecious.
FROM BUDDY: Very good point given the economy.
July 15th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Word on the street is there’s a new poll out there that shows Bogdanoff blowing the doors off of both Domino and Loeb.
July 15th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Why did Ellen run for the seat she is in, she could have donated the money she spent to charities. Let Chris Chiari take over her seat, he is bright and willing to work hard.