WASHINGTON — GOP 8th District candidate Stewart Mills outraised his opponent, U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan, between April and June, but Nolan still holds a $150,000 cash edge. Mills, a vice president at the Fleet Farm chain of stores, also made a sizable loan his campaign for the first time this year.

The Mills and Nolan campaigns announced their second quarter fundraising numbers on Tuesday, the day they’re due to be reported to the Federal Elections Commission. Mills brought in more than $338,000 and Nolan raised almost $284,000, making it the third quarter out of four in which the challenger outraised the incumbent in this race. But Nolan has more cash in the bank than Mills: he has $577,000 on hand, to Mills’ $429,000.

Mills’ campaign said he loaned his campaign around $100,000 during the fundraising quarter. That figure isn’t included in the campaign’s contributions number. Mills, who has a sizable stake in his family’s Fleet Farm business, had not reported any self-funding before now, but he never ruled out contributing to his own campaign.

Both candidates turned in their best fundraising quarter of the cycle, and Mills logged the first $300,000-plus quarter for either candidate. Nolan has raised more than $1 million this cycle, and Mills has brought in nearly $990,000.

Devin Henry can be reached at dhenry@minnpost.com.