Marco Rubio campaign says they’ve raised nearly a million dollars in last quarter

Has the Florida GOP Senate race now changed?

The Marco Rubio campaign announced today that they will be able to officially report soon that they have raised "almost a million dollars" in the last financial quarter, ending last Wednesday.

Campaign Manager Alex Burgos told Creative Loafing that the campaign is encouraged by the numbers, but still expect to be dwarfed by Charlie Crist when he releases his fundraising numbers (perhaps by tomorrow?).

Rubio has become the darling of the national Republican Party, with encomiums flowing from establishment conservatives like George Will and The National Review, in recent months.

And he's been kicking the Governor's booty when it comes to straw polls taken at local GOP party events.

Burgos said he knows this news will excite those "who view the race through the prism of money.  But we've also felt that we come out on top on ideas."

Crist will no doubt be able to surpass Rubio on the financial front, but for enthusiasm, it's no contest.  That was before the Governor took a notable turn rightward to try to stave off the insurgent, but this race should only get juicer in the coming months.

This article appears in Sep 30 – Oct 7, 2009.