Republican Bruce Poliquin is leading the pack for campaign contributions for the crowded 2010 gubernatorial race, according to reports filed Tuesday.
Candidates who announced their run for governor before Jan. 1 had until the end of the day Tuesday to submit financial reports with state elections officials. Poliquin came out on top with $633,593 in cash contributions and in-kind contributions of $632,172 through the end of 2009, including $100,000 of his own money, according to a press release from Poliquin’s campaign. Rival Republican candidate Matt Jacobson reported $88,400 in contributions, and Republican Les Otten reported $85,000 in contributions, as well as a $586,000 loan he lent to his campaign, according to the Morning Sentinel. Republican Paul LePage reported $61,115 in contributions, including $20,000 in loans. Democratic candidate Rosa Scarcelli reported $258,465 in contributions for her privately financed campaign, $16,300 of that in loans.
Of the candidates seeking public funding, Democrat Elizabeth Mitchell raised $70,000, Democrat John Richardson raised $46,250, and Democrat Donna Dion raised $2,500. Republican Peter Mills reported $37,595, according to the paper. Candidates hoping to get public funding must collect a minimum of $40,000 in seed money in order to qualify. Candidates who entered the race after Jan. 1 were not required to file a report.
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