With Perry in, Romney no longer darling of FL donors

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Mitt Romney was the overwhelming favorite of Florida donors to GOP presidential candidates — at least before Texas Gov. Rick Perry threw his cowboy hat into the ring.

Many of the Republican candidates are arriving in Orlando Wednesday for a three-day forum sponsored by the Republican Party of Florida.

Romney received more than two-thirds of the $2.1 million Floridians gave to Republican presidential candidates through June, the last reporting period.

That fundraising snapshot only captured donations made before Perry entered the GOP presidential contest in August, and only 10 days into the start of former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s campaign.

A lot has happened since then.

Perry has become a front-runner, and Huntsman has made Orlando his campaign headquarters due to his wife’s Florida roots.

Source: Mike Schneider, Associated Press