Key Kerry fund-raisers scooped up by others

WASHINGTON -- With Senator John F. Kerry's top fund-raisers from 2004 up for grabs, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York has landed several highprofile Democratic activists and fund-raisers from New England, including key members of Kerry's team from his White House run.

Backing Clinton over her Democratic presidential rivals are Steve Grossman, a Newton businessman and a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee; Jonathan Patsavos, who was Kerry's New England finance director during his 2004 presidential campaign; as well as prominent Boston philanthropists Elaine Shuster, Barbara Lee, and Swanee Hunt.

Clinton has also signed up Anthony Buxton, who led Kerry's Maine fund-raising in 2004, and Mark Weiner, who chaired Kerry's Rhode Island fund-raising. In addition, Clinton's New England finance team will include Joseph Paolino Jr., a former mayor of Providence, and Bob Baldacci, the brother of Governor John Baldacci of Maine, according to the Clinton campaign.

Grossman, who was also a key fund-raiser for Bill Clinton, said he was attracted to Senator Clinton's commitment to meeting the needs of the nation's families.

"There was no way I wasn't going to be with Hillary Clinton," said Grossman, who backed former Vermont governor Howard Dean during the 2004 Democratic primaries. "I know of no Democrat running who has her finger more on the pulse of a bold, imaginative, and what I think will be an essential agenda for the American people."

New England has emerged in recent presidential cycles as a key fund-raising territory for national Democratic politicians. Kerry leaned heavily on well-connected fund-raisers from his home state of Massachusetts both during the 2004 presidential primaries and the general election.

Kerry's announcement last month that he would seek reelection to the Senate instead of pursuing the presidency again sparked a behind-the-scenes battle for the key money men and women of his 2004 bid. Many key figures from his 2004 team were holding off on making commitments for 2008 until Kerry made his intentions clear.

Shortly after Kerry made his decision public, one of his top fund-raisers from 2004, Alan D. Solomont, a Weston entrepreneur and philanthropist, signed on with the campaign of Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. Solomont's decision raised eyebrows in political circles because of his longstanding ties to the Clinton family, dating back to the former president's first national campaign in 1992.

Clinton is actively working to shore up her support in New England. On Friday, she had dinner in Boston with some of her veteran allies from the region, and is planning her first major Boston fund-raiser on March 30.

"We're excited to have this level of support in New England and will work hard to be competitive in the region," said Blake Zeff, a Clinton campaign spokesman.