Abramson vs. Downard

Just a quick update...I did update my other post since I went to bed early this morning.

Louisville Mayor-for-Life Jerry Abramson has doubled Councilman Kelly Downard in finances.

According to the report, Abramson has raised $612,240 since he last filed in November 2004 -- four months before Downard, a Metro Council member, announced he would try to unseat the longtime mayor.

"This is the greatest outpouring of financial support I've had this early in a race," Abramson said, noting that he received more than 1,000 contributions from every ZIP code in Jefferson County and that he received nearly $15,000 in unitemized contributions of less than $100.

"I'm sure when the race truly begins, we'll be able to raise additional funds," he said, adding that so far, "It's not been an aggressive effort...I haven't been spending day and night doing this. I've made some calls, had some fund-raisers."

Downard, who announced his candidacy last March and was required to report campaign finances in July and October, reported raising nearly $226,000 by the end of September.

Riggs Lewis, Downard's campaign chairman, said last week that the campaign now has raised just over $300,000.

Downard's campaign downplayed the importance of Abramson's fund-raising advantage, saying that it expects the incumbent to out raise Downard because he's been in politics for more than two decades.[...]

He noted that Downard hasn't held any fund-raisers outside Louisville -- unlike Abramson, who raised $22,425 at a fund-raiser in Lexington sponsored by former state Democratic Party Chairman Terry McBrayer.

According to the report, Abramson didn't actively begin raising money until April 19 when Frost Brown Todd, his old law firm, held a fund-raising event that garnered $42,750.

So far, lawyers and people associated with them have contributed the biggest lump of money to his campaign -- more than $110,000.[...]

The bulk of Abramson's campaign money has come from 20 fund-raising events held by supporters throughout the community.

It should be noted that some people contributed to both campaigns.

The fight to derail smoking on campus has only just begun. Non-smokers are glad, at I least I know I am, that a new policy will be in effect when students move in next fall.