5 X '04! Democrats Outpace Past Presidential 1st Qtr. Fundraising Pace by Five Times

For Immediate Release: April 10, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - In the first quarter of 2008, the Florida Democratic Party raised more than five times what it did during the corresponding time period of the last Presidential election year.

In fact, the Party's haul actually beat the first three quarters of 2004 combined by more than half a million dollars. It's also the highest first quarter total in a presidential year on record.

"The Florida Democratic Party gets stronger every day," Chairwoman Karen L. Thurman said. "Dollar by dollar, seat by seat, we're chipping away at the Republican regime. There's no doubt that change is coming to Florida."

Prior to 2006, Democrats had not won a Cabinet office in Florida since 1998 or any statewide race at all since 2000. In Congress and the State Legislature, Democrats bled seats almost every cycle for the past decade. However, in 2006, there was a major change: Florida Democrats started winning again:

• Reelected U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson by a 20 point margin
• Elected Alex Sink, the state's first Democratic Chief Financial Officer
• Took two Republican-held Congressional seats
• Picked up nine State House seats in the past two years - several in strong Republican districts, including special elections in 2007 and 2008
• Won countless municipal elections, even in bedrock Republican cities like Bonita Springs, Cape Coral and Venice