Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina has loaned $2.5 million of her own money to her campaign for the U.S. Senate, an indication she's willing to invest significant personal resources into the effort to unseat Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer.
Fiorina also raised nearly $1.1 million in donations during her first two months in the race. After expenses, that gives her about $2.7 million going into 2010, according to her campaign.
The former Silicon Valley exec hopes to give California's junior senator her most formidable re-election test, but she will have to survive what could be a challenging Republican primary against state Assemblyman Chuck DeVore.
She and her husband, Frank, have dropped such a huge amount into the campaign because, "we've been blessed and believe that 2010 will mark the resurgence of the fundamental principles of smaller government, job creation, and an unswerving commitment to the cause of freedom across the globe – all principles I am deeply committed to and will run my campaign on," she states on her Web site.
Fiorina's federal financial disclosure statement shows her assets total between $30 million to $119 million, the Mercury News reports. Fiorina has been vague about how much of her family's money she would put into the race, saying she had no plans to fund it herself.
Another former Silicon Valley tech leader vying for public office is making news on the funding front Monday.
A news release from former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, running on the Republican ticket for California governor in 2010, announced Monday that she has raised more than $10 million since her campaign launched in February 2009.
