Williams Raises Close to $500,000

Outpacing his primary opponents, Republican gubernatorial candidate and state Senate President David Williams has raised $446,943 in the first quarter.A fundraising report released by the campaign Wednesday shows Williams, who is running with Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer, has raised a total of $1.2 million in the three-way GOP contest.Earlier this week, Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, who is running with former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, reported raising $1.2 million during the quarter alone. That gives Beshear $3.3 million in cash on hand.Williams's campaign manager Scott Jennings says the Williams-Farmer ticket is lined up to be the Republican nominee and they aren't worried about the governor's fundraising efforts."They represent the best conservative ticket to take on Steve Beshear and Jerry Abramson this fall. So yes, we're happy," he says. "We're going to continue to raise the resources necessary to win. Obviously an incumbent governor is always going to have resources that comes along being an incumbent. We're not at all detoured by what Steve Beshear is doing."The latest polling numbers show Williams with a commanding 35-point lead over Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw and Louisville business Phil Moffett, with many political observers declaring there is no campaign worth watching.On Tuesday, Holsclaw’s campaign reported raising only $22,774, and it is estimated that Moffett will report about $100,000 in contributions."We're not taking anything for granted," Jennings says. "Frankly, we see it as our responsibility as the leading Republican, conservative ticket to run a positive campaign based on ideas and an agenda that will ultimately lead to job creation and better fiscal policy in this state."The GOP primary is May 17.