Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced today he is appointing his former chief of staff, Republican George S. LeMieux, to fill the U.S. Senate seat left open by the sudden retirement of first-term GOP-er Mel Martinez.
A search of Federal Elections Commission records and Florida campaign finance reports reveals that while the newest Senator has been a long-time supporter of his former boss, he has not been a terribly big donor to Crist.
The $3,335.60 in contributions LeMieux has given Crist include:
• Two $100 contributions to his 2000 campaign for Florida Education Commissioner
• One $200 donation to his 2002 campaign for Florida Attorney General
• A $250 check, a $100 check, two $25 checks, and a $135.60 “in-kind” contribution for event expenses to his 2006 campaign for Florida Governor
• A $2,400 contribution for his 2010 U.S. Senate race
LeMieux’s seat will be open in the 2010 election (and is sought by none other than Charlie Crist, himself), which means LeMieux will likely only have the job for 16 months. If you’re keeping score at home, that comes out to just over $200 in Crist contributions per month.