Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is expected to lead the pack in fundraising for the second quarter of 2011 when reports are filed Thursday, with Rep. Michele Bachmann finishing second. While noting that money alone can’t win an election, it is a gauge of how the GOP presidential field is shaking out,
The Washington Post reported.
Romney will be the fundraising leader, although the Post notes that he will not be judged against the rest of the field but his own prodigious accounts from his previous run for president.
Minnesota Congresswoman Bachmann is expected to come in second as a result of her own fundraising skills. She collected more than $13 million for her 2010 House race, and momentum gained from her recent GOP presidential debate performance should help, the Post reported.
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, has a proven record when it comes to funding a presidential race. In 2007, he collected $27 million. “Still, no matter how much money Paul has, he has not proved that he can reach outside his ardent — but tiny — electoral base,” the Post reported.
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman should be next. On his first day as an official candidate, he brought in $1.2 million at a fundraiser. He will need to exceed expectations to show he belongs in the top tier, the Post noted.
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, and former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain all need good showings to prove they are viable candidates.
Anchoring the field is former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, with “rumors flying that he may show as much as $1 million in debt in the coming fundraising report,” the Post reported.
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