Bradley, a former U.S. senator from New Jersey, collected donations in San Diego, Los Angeles, and at a fund-raiser for Silicon Valley supporters in San Jose last Friday, campaign finance director Rick Wright said.
The contributions are part of the more than US$6.7 million Bradley raised during the third quarter, a total that surpassed that of his chief Democratic rival, Vice President Al Gore. Both still trail the Republican front-runner, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, in fund-raising .
"We've had a good quarter, and the momentum is still building," said Ted Schlein, a partner at the Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, who has emerged as one of Bradley's top fund-raisers in Silicon Valley.
Gore raised about US$6.5 million during the third quarter, for a total of about US$24 million this year. Bush reported raising US$19 million during the quarter, for a total this year of more than US$56 million.
High-tech interests
Silicon Valley, home of many of the top technology companies in the
United States, has emerged as a key fund-raising battleground, as the
industry's executives increase their political giving and take a more
active role in trying to influence policy decisions that have a direct
impact on the industry. Gore has made more than 40 trips to Silicon Valley.
Bradley has raised more than US$2 million in San Francisco alone this year, Wright said. He collected US$1.1 million at a technology fund-raiser in California earlier this year. Bradley also raised more than US$650,000 through donations made to his Web site, including US$410,000 in the third quarter, the campaign said.
While Bradley is courting Silicon Valley, his supporters say his appeal is less his position on issues affecting the industry than as an alternative to Gore, as well as his support for issues such as expanding health care coverage. Bradley has successfully wooed many business leaders who say they are unexcited by Gore, think he can't win, or are attracted to what they see as Bradley's independence.
"What I hear from Bradley's supporters is they respect him and believe he's an honest broker," said John Diekman, one of Bradley's chief California fund-raisers, vice chairman of biotechnology firm Affymetrix, and a partner at the venture capital firm Bay City Capital.
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