Mitt Romney’s campaign reported earlier today that it raised $18.25 million during the second quarter, four times as much as any other declared GOP presidential hopeful.
Though less than the $23 million raised by the former Massachusetts governor during a comparable period in 2007, Romney’s haul, which reportedly doesn’t include any personal contributions or loans made by the candidate, dwarfs those of his rivals. More than half of the money — $10.25 million — was raised or pledged during a one-day fundraiser held in Las Vegas on May 16.
The Romney campaign also reported that it had $12.6 million cash on hand at the end of the second quarter.
In addition, Restore our Future, a “Super PAC” organized by former aides to Romney, reported raising $12 million in the first six months of 2011. It’s the only Super PAC with ties to a 2012 Republican presidential candidate. Under Federal Election Commission rules, a Super PAC can accept unlimited donations, but must report its contributors.
Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who’s waging his third campaign for the White House, announced on Friday that his campaign had raised $4.5 million over the past three months, much of it in small donations. An upbeat Paul said that he was way ahead of his fundraising numbers for the same period during his 2008 campaign.
“Millions more people are concerned about the things I talked about four years ago,” Paul said while campaigning in northern New Hampshire. “It will be a much, much more significant campaign” this time around.
The other major contenders lagged behind. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, whose candidacy has yet to generate much excitement, reported raising $4.2 million during the second quarter, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman raised $4.1 million, nearly half of which came out of his own pocket, and pizza magnate and radio talk show host Herman Cain of Atlanta reported bringing in $2.46 million, including some of his own fortune.
Huntsman, a former U.S. Ambassador to China, didn’t officially enter the race until June 21, only ten days before the end of the quarter.
According to POLITICO, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, whose campaign has been plagued with one setback after another, will report raising approximately $2 million in the second fundraising quarter, but has also accumulated a significant debt of about a million dollars.
“The fact is a month of media barrage is painful, and it slowed a lot of things down,” Gingrich said during a Fourth of July campaign stop in Clear Lake, Iowa. “Candidly, the consultants left us in debt. But every single week since they left we’ve been cutting down the debt, and we raise more than we spend in a week.”
Fundraising totals are not yet available for Minnesota’s Michele Bachmann. She isn’t expected to reveal her fundraising figures until July 15, the filing deadline for the second quarter.
Similarly, President Obama, who was expected to raise a staggering $60 million in the second quarter, hasn’t yet made his fundraising totals public.
Follow Us