Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
Date published: 4/24/2007
BY EMILY BATTLE and CHELYEN DAVIS
Stafford County resident Carlos Del Toro reported $81,804 in cash donations in the first three months of his bid to unseat Republican Del. Mark Cole in the 88th House of Delegates district.
Over the same period, Cole reported raising $2,550.
"We're kind of hamstrung in the first quarter," Cole said, because incumbents can't raise money during the 6-week General Assembly session.
However, several other incumbents around the state reported raising $30,000 or more last quarter to fight off challengers in the runup to Nov. 5, when all 140 Assembly seats are up for election.
"I didn't hit it as much as some of the guys did," Cole said. "We'll raise what we need to raise to run the campaign."
Del Toro has $80,240 on hand, compared to Cole's $45,874.
Cole has five donors on his list for the latest reporting period, which ran from Jan. 1 through March 31.
Aside from three individuals, he reported gifts from the political action committees of the Virginia Automobile and Truck Dealers and the Virginia Coal Association.
Del Toro's report lists 110 cash gifts of $100 or more.
$17,400 of that came from gifts collected through the Democratic fundraising Web site ActBlue.com.
Del Toro reports another $38,450 in gifts from out-of-state donors, with addresses covering the map from Florida to New York to Utah to Hawaii. He held a fundraising event at the Harvard Club of New York City on March 20.
Del Toro credits the breadth of donors to his 26-year Navy career, during which he lived in 17 different locations.
"I have friends and family and business relations throughout the country."
Del Toro, 46, runs SBG Technology Solutions, a home-based engineering and consulting firm. He worked in the federal Office of Management and Budget as a White House Fellow in 1998.
Cole, 48, is a project manager with Northrup Grumman. He won the 88th district House seat in 2001, after serving two years on the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors.
The 88th House district includes parts of Stafford, Fauquier and Spotsylvania counties.
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Veterans for Del Toro is a group of retired servicemembers who are committed to bringing focus, commitment and passion to the Virginia Legislature by helping elect Commander Carlos Del Toro (Ret).