AP Photo/Mike Derer
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine has been forced to raise money for his gubernatorial campaign for the first time in his political career. And aides say that he is finding that the task does not come naturally. "He kind of has a Midwestern, aw-shucks approach," said Corzine finance committee ember Zenon Christodoulou, adding that Corzine is almost apologetic to prospective donors.
Corzine, who spent record sums in self-financing his Senate and governor campaigns, has donated $3.25 million to his re-election campaign thus far, more than doubling the amount he has raised from donors. The campaign says it hopes to raise as much as $15 million, which Corzine plans to supplement with no more than $25 million from his personal wealth.
Still, Corzine's money total will dwarf his Republican challenger's. Christopher Christie's campaign has agreed to state matching funds, limiting the amount of money he will be able to spend on the campaign to $11 million, about one-fourth the total Corzine is shooting for.
While both men are reported to be having trouble raising money in the slumping economy, Corzine's task is a bit more daunting. Trailing in the polls and facing a voting public increasingly skeptical of his leadership, Corzine's campaign may seem like a risky bet to prospective donors. And Corzine is not making any guarantees. "He said it was going to be a tough race,” said Bernard Schwartz, a major Democratic donor. “He was not happy about it.”
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