Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty took in about $700,000 for his Freedom First PAC in the last quarter.
Although reports aren't due until next month, Pawlenty advisor Phil Musser said in a Web video that the PAC has raised about $2.5 million since forming last year.
This spring, he reported raising about $1.8 million. The difference? About $700K.
The figure shows Pawlenty's frequent travel is paying dividends, at least in the money-gathering world.
Last week, the governor, who is eyeing a 2012 presidential run, traveled to Tennessee and Oklahoma. This week, he is in South Carolina. Since announcing he wouldn't run for a third term last year, he's raised money from coast to coast and set up state PACs in Iowa and New Hampshire, both early presidential selection states.
He'll take his third trip to New Hampshire next month to a) attend a picnic with New Hampshire Republicans b) raise money for New Hampshire Republicans and c) raise his profile with New Hampshire Republicans.
Although he has endorsed and contributed to Republican candidates across the country, unlike some potential 2012 rivals, he has avoided wading into hotly contested GOP primaries.
