Updated: The Role Georgia Dollars Are Playing In Fred Thompson's Campaign

(Update at 1:15 p.m. adds another Georgian's fundraising efforts for Thompson - Rep. Earl Ehrhart. New material highlighted.)

By Dick Pettys
InsiderAdvantage Georgia

(8/7/07) Former Sen. Fred Thompson got a big boost from Tennessee in the June fundraising report he filed last week. But Georgia, where a June Insider poll showed him leading the GOP field, was among his Top 10 states.

The report showed his exploratory committee raised nearly $3.5 million during the month-long period.

OpenSecrets.org, the web site of the Center For Responsive Politics, says $1.3 million of that came from Tennessee, the state Thompson formerly represented in the U.S. Senate, making that his No. 1 geographical source of funds. Georgia, which accounted for $121,900, was No. 7 in giving.

The report does not include money that he raised last month. In Georgia alone, a fundraiser in early July at the home of Cousins Property CEO Tom Bell brought in an estimated $400,000.

Also not included is money raised last month during the American Legislative Exchange Council meeting by state Rep. Earl Ehrhart, who chaired the national group last year. A number of Georgians attended, along with House Speakers from Virginia and Texas and lieutenant governors from South Carolina and Tennessee. The fundraiser likely produced at least $50,000.

An Insider poll of 400 registered Georgia voters who said they were likely to vote in a Republican presidential primary showed Thompson the choice of 36 percent of respondents if the election were held now. He was followed by Rudy Giuliani (22 percent), John McCain (10 percent) and Mitt Romney (9 percent), with the rest of the field below that. The poll was conducted June 12-14 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent.

Here is the OpenSecrets list of Thompson’s Top 10 states: