Chief among the L.A. Republicans who took off last week for the party’s convention in Philadelphia is the man in charge of raising money for George W. Bush’s California campaign: Brad Freeman, a founding partner at L.A. private equity firm Freeman Spogli & Co.

Freeman, a friend of Bush’s since the days before Bush entered politics, heads up the fund-raising arm of the Bush campaign in California, chaired by Gerald Parsky. His efforts drummed up a substantial amount of money for a party that has traditionally all but abandoned California during the presidential fund-raising effort, a fact that may reap benefits for the state if Bush is elected.

Freeman led a drive that raised an estimated $10 million of California money for the Bush for President coffers. The last two Republican presidential candidates, including Bush’s father, were only able to raise a fraction of that here.

Freeman dismisses suggestions that George W. is only interested in the state for its money, and said Bush will be back in California the week after the convention.