Mitt Romney, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, hosted a fundraising function Monday evening in Redwood City. Tickets for the event ranged in price from $1,000 to $5,000, with the latter option granting attendees a photo opportunity with the candidate.

Romney will spend two days fundraising in California, including the event in Redwood City. His front-runner status, and his experience in business, have so far allowed him to dominate Republican fundraising in the state, with California constituting the second-largest source of donations for the Romney campaign and the third-largest source of funds for Restore Our Future, the pro-Romney Super PAC.

While Romney has raised about $76 million for his campaign so far, the protracted nature of the Republican primary has prompted efforts by all candidates to expand donor bases and reduce the risk of donor exhaustion. Restore Our Future  has raised close to $50 million in additional funds, to be spent on supporting Romney’s candidacy.

Romney leads his rivals for the Republican nomination by a substantial margin, with more pledged delegates than the rest of the field combined. His failure to connect with conservative votes and effectively clinch the nomination could, however, extend the contest until California’s June 5 primary, or even the August convention, according to faculty observers.

— Marshall Watkins