Kennedy pulls ahead in fundraising
"Campaign Races"10/13/2005
BY RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER
Pioneer Press
In campaign contributions received so far, Republican U.S Rep. Mark Kennedy has eked out a lead over his potential rival in the 2006 U.S. Senate race, Democratic Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar.
According to preliminary figures released by his campaign, Kennedy raised $800,000 in the past four months, for a total of $2.1 million. He has spent about $600,000 and has $1.5 million left in cash.
Klobuchar collected more than $500,000 this quarter, which ended Sept. 30, and has raised a total of $1.75 million, according to her campaign. She has spent about $350,000 and has $1.4 million left.
Democrat Ford Bell is trailing both. He raised about $150,000 this quarter, for a total of $230,000, and has about $110,000 left in the bank. Democrat Patty Wetterling, who will officially launch her campaign Sunday, has also been working for the seat but has not yet made her preliminary numbers public.
Republicans may be buoyed by Kennedy’s superior fundraising figures. A recent National Journal article said, “Republicans will feel better about Kennedy if he posts a bigger number than Klobuchar this quarter. Some Republicans were taken aback when Klobuchar reported more cash than Kennedy last quarter.”
Although fundraising numbers are just one fact that will ultimately affect the Senate race, they are a helpful early indicator of the strength of a campaign, say experts.
“Even before the first ballot is cast by a voter, the checkbook primary helps determine who is going to run,” said University of Minnesota politics professor Larry Jacobs.
In 2004, the Senate candidate who spent the most money won the race more than 75 percent of the time, according to an analysis from the Center for Responsive Politics.