After social conservatives rallied to Pat Robertson in Iowa in 1988, and soon took over the formal structure of the Republican Party in many states, it rapidly became difficult to win a GOP nomination for anything higher than dog catcher without aA fundraiser Tony Bennett held in San Francisco boosted his 2012 re-election campaign coffers past $400,000. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush attended and contributed $500.
Bennett’s 2011 annual report, filed last week, shows the first-term Republican has raised $400,328 in itemized contributions.
Justin Oakley, a Martinsville schoolteacher, has filed for state superintendent as a Democrat. He has raised just $2,790.
Many of Bennett’s contributions come from out of state, including contributions of $5,000 from K12 Management, a Virginia-based education services provider; $2,500 from McGraw-Hill Education Company; and $2,500 from iteachUS, a Texas-based teacher certification program.
He also received a contribution from Amway heir Richard DeVos of Grand Rapids, Mich., whose wife is a leader in the school voucher movement.
Bennett said he doesn’t see a problem in accepting contributions from out-of-state interests, noting that any Democratic challenger is likely to receive campaign support from the National Education Association.
