Paterson Campaign: We'll Raise More

David Paterson's campaign says that it will pick up its fund-raising pace after Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is widely seen as coveting Paterson's job, vastly outraised him in the first half of the year. 

Paterson's campaign points to a Democratic Governor's Association summer policy conference (and fund-raising event) that Paterson will host in Saratoga on July 31 and August 1 as a way to showcase his efforts in New York and attract more donors.

"Showing the governor as the host of this event is an important thing," said one Paterson campaign source. "It helps his street cred."

The source also argued that the lackluster numbers Paterson reported—only $2.3 million, compared to Cuomo's $5.1 million—was a result of the State Senate impasse forcing the governor to stay in Albany and monopolizing his time. The source said that the crisis led to the cancellation of at least 10 events that estimated would have brought in between $1 million and $1.5 million.