Nixon campaign manager: We're off to a great start

In a letter to supporters sent today, Oren Shur, campaign manager for Gov. Jay Nixon, said the re-election effort is off to a great start, noting that the governor has more than doubled the amount of money raised by his likely Republican challenger, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder. The letter is printed below.

While Gov. Nixon continues to focus his time on what Missourians elected him to do – bringing people together to create jobs, balancing the budget and helping communities in need – we’re making sure that he has the resources needed to win re-election in 2012.

Last Friday, we announced that the campaign raised $1.4 million in the past three months and now has $3.2 million in the bank. That puts us far ahead of any potential opponents, and we couldn’t have done it without your help.

On Friday, a reporter asked me: to what do you attribute the fundraising success?

My answer was pretty simple: Missourians see Jay Nixon out there in their communities, providing the strong and serious leadership we need during these challenging times. So it’s not surprising a lot of folks want to make an early contribution to help him get re-elected. You work hard every day and do a good job, folks will want to see you get re-elected.

Already, more than 2,300 individuals have contributed and we have received more than 1,500 contributions of $100 or less. That’s real grassroots support…and we’re just getting started.