JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Democratic Secretary of State Robin Carnahan has nearly doubled the fundraising of Republican Rep. Roy Blunt in the early stages of Missouri’s 2010 Senate race.
Finance summaries released Wednesday show Carnahan raised more than $1 million from her candidacy announcement on Feb. 3 through March 31.
Blunt received about $542,000 in contributions during the first quarter of 2009. Blunt says most of that came after he declared his Senate candidacy on Feb. 18.
Carnahan and Blunt are the only declared candidates to succeed Republican U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, who announced in January that he would not seek a fifth term. But former State Treasurer Sarah Steelman, a Republican, also is considering a Senate bid.
Under federal campaign finance rules, Blunt is able to use money from his House campaign committee for his Senate race. He reported a total of $674,000 on hand as of March 31.
But Carnahan was not able to transfer money from her secretary of state committee to her federal campaign. She had nearly $928,000 on hand at the end of March.
