French & Co. epicenter of Vero Beach support for Barack Obama

With barrier island residents on track to contribute a record amount to the 2008 presidential campaigns, the office of the moribund real estate firm French & Company appears to have been the epicenter of Vero Beach support for Democratic candidate Barack Obama.

Clark French and his wife Carmen, along with business partner Victor A. Lombardi and wife Andrea, French & Co. Realtor Cindy O'Dare, and Beth McIntosh, wife of contractor and client Mark McIntosh, each contributed maximum amounts to Obama's campaign, according to Federal Election Commission data as of June 30th.

Their contributions amounted to more than a quarter of the $79,300 total given to Obama by residents of the Vero Beach barrier island thus far in the 2008 election cycle, according to FEC records of itemized contributions of $200 or more.

While the contributions from the barrier island to Obama already far exceed the $16,100 contributed by beachside residents to the 2004 campaign of John Kerry, contributions to Republican presidential candidate John McCain are also running way ahead of the $222,215 contributed to the relection campaign of President Bush.

Contributions to McCain, which got off to a slow start during the primaries, are now up to $306,565.

In fact, contributions to Obama stand only slightly above the $68,750 that beachside residents contributed to former Republican candidate Mitt Romney despite the fact that he has been out of the GOP race now for several months.

While only five other island residents -- Richard A. Burke and his wife Camille; A. Lee Fentress III; Edward Wiegner; and Gregory L. Wilson -- made maximum contributions to the Obama campaign, some 64 beachside residents have contributed the maximum to McCain.

McCain backers giving the maximum include:

William P. Corry and his wife Darcy; Ray Marshall Evans Jr. and his wife Claire; Joseph J. Fahey and his wife Barrie; William G. Kagler; John B. Lynch; Charles R. Shoemate and his wife Nancy; David M. Baldwin; Gerhard R. Andlinger; Cynthia W. Bardes; Paul A. Becker; R. William Becker; D. Theodore Berghorst; Kjestine Bijur; Russell Bjorkman; William Blackburn II and his wife Marcia; Gerald Blatherwick; William P. Corry and his wife Darcy; John H. Holliday and his wife Phyllis; William G. Kagler; Susan Kasten; Caren Sue Lambert; George H.C. Lawrence; Charles E. Long and his wife Margaret; John D. Lowenberg Sr.; Marguerite Lynch; James B. Malloy; Janet H. McCoy; Donald E. Nickelson; Philip A. O'Reilly; Edward Ochylski; Robert C. Puff Jr.; Charles E. Ryan; William M. Schmitt; R.J. Schmitt; John W. Scully; Marlynn V. Scully; John Peter Skirkanich and his wife Geri Anne; Thomas Slater; Nick T. Stewart; Henry G. Stifel and his wife Charlotte; Robert L. Stott Jr. and his wife Heidi; Douglas T. Tansill; Larry R. Timmerman and his wife Carolyn; Keith S. Wellin; Wendy C. Wellin; Patrick Welsh and his wife Carol; Edward Wiegner; Gail D. Williams; Frederick S. Womham; Ann Womham; Stephanie A. Zimmerman.

Interestingly, Edward Wiegner is the only island resident currently listed as having made maximum contributions to both McCain and Obama -- and he also made a maximum contribution before the start of the primaries to Democratic candidate John Edwards.

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A footnote to this story: the French & Co. Beachland Blvd. real estate office, and the company's real estate listings, were taken over in June by Premier Estate Properties. The FEC records show no 2007-2008 political contributions by Premier Estate Properties' owners, but modest contributions several years ago to the National Republican Congressional Committee. French & Co. continues to operate as a development company.