Mitt Romney super PAC outspending rivals 20-to-1 in Florida

Restore Our Future, a super PAC backing Mitt Romney, has already spent $5 million on ads in Florida. Can Newt Gingrich raise enough money to compete with Romney in Florida?

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The massive public employees' union, which has endorsed Democratic President Barack Obama in the Nov. 6 elections, has spent $1 million on an anti-Romney TV ad being shown in Tampa, Orlando and West Palm Beach.

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The ad, focusing on Romney's tenure leading the private equity firm Bain Capital, alleges that Romney profited from Medicare fraud out of "corporate greed."

A wild card in Florida also could be what happens with Make Us Great Again, the Super PAC that supported Texas Governor Rick Perry before he dropped out of the race last week and endorsed Gingrich.

Whether wealthy donors have started backing Gingrich could become clear on Jan. 31, when the PACs will have to file their first disclosures of the campaign season, covering last year's money. Disclosure for January's money will come in late February.

However well the pro-Gingrich PAC is doing, Gingrich has conceded that his campaign is in a money crunch heading into Florida.

Moments after TV networks declared him the winner in South Carolina late Saturday, Gingrich took to Twitter to ask for donations so he could "deliver the knockout punch in Florida."

He hit on the subject again during his victory speech.

"I need your help in reaching out to people in Florida," Gingrich told his supporters. "We don't have the kind of money that at least one of the candidates does. ... we've proven here in South Carolina that people power with the right ideas beats big money. And with your help we're going to prove it again in Florida. "

A PROVING GROUND

The other two candidates in the race - Rick Santorum and Ron Paul - lag significantly in the quest for money.

The Super PAC supporting former Pennsylvania senator Santorum, the Red White and Blue Fund, has spent $225,000 on mailings and phone calls to contact Florida voters, likely indicating a plan for a targeted approach.

Revolution PAC, which supports Texas congressman Paul, has spent $1,000 on an ad promoting the candidate. Another pro-Paul PAC, Endorse Liberty, has chimed in with $22,500 in anti-Gingrich and pro-Paul ads in Florida.

"If you want to prove yourself as a campaign of national stature," said Hughes, Florida "is where you need to prove that you're big enough and tough enough."

(Editing by David Lindsey and Jackie Frank)