Mike Haridopolos Hits the Ground Running with Fund-raising for U.S. Senate Bid

State Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, announced on Wednesday that his U.S. Senate campaign team reeled in $2.6 million for the first quarter of 2010 with the bulk of it -- more than $2.5 million -- on hand.

I am incredibly humbled and overwhelmed by the support from people across our state and country who have chosen to stand with me and say enough is enough when it comes to the reckless fiscal policies and debt being pushed by Bill Nelson and Barack Obama, said Haridopolos. At the end of the day, people are uniting in the belief that government and spending are out of control. And theyre looking for leaders prepared to stand up and do just that.

"Floridians are making it known that they are tired of the big-spending, higher taxes, and trail of broken promises offered by Bill Nelson and the liberal Democrats in the U.S. Senate, added Haridopolos. "Family to family, small business to small business, our campaign will continue sharing our positive vision of balanced budgets, lower taxes, and real job growth across the state.

"The remarkable early support our campaign has received is not only inspiring, but serves as a stark reminder of the tremendous challenges Floridians are facing and the bold leadership they are expecting, Haridopolos concluded. I look forward to continuing our conversation in the months ahead."

While Nelson retained between $4.5 million and $5 million on hand, the buzz is that he will have raised less than Haridopolos in the first quarter. Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux just announced his bid for the Republican nod and former House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, who also has his eye on the GOP nomination, has not formally announced yet.