Palm Beach Town Councilman Bill Diamond will open his island home Wednesday for a $500-per-plate luncheon and photo op with Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum. Invite here.

McCollum, the state’s attorney general, is expected to face Democratic state CFO Alex Sink in the 2010 election. Sink was leading McCollum, $2.4 million to $1 million after the most recent campaign finance reports through June 30.

Diamond would not say how much he’s hoping to raise, but acknowledged that “we’re doing very well.”

“I’m proud to call Bill McCollum my friend,” Diamond said.

Diamond and McCollum were both supporters of Republican Rudy Giuliani’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Along with Diamond and his wife, Regine Traulsen, the host committee for the fundraiser includes:

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WEST PALM BEACH — Two weeks after he upheld incumbent Jack McDonald’s one-vote victory in a Palm Beach mayor’s race, Judge David Crow today listened to another 30 minutes of arguments on whether he should reconsider his decision.

Crow said he will issue an order “shortly” in a case that is being watched closely by elections officials around the state because it could ultimately set a new legal precedent for the way absentee ballots are handled.

However Crow rules, attorneys on the losing side are likely to file an appeal.

During today’s proceeding, Crow revisited arguments over whether McDonald’s challenger or the Palm Beach County elections office has the burden of proving whether disputed absentee ballots were “received” in time to be counted.

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