Candidates for governor began to position themselves in the fundraising race today. The first official news release came Sunday afternoon from DFL-endorsed Margaret Anderson Kelliher who touted the numbers “the day before campaign finance reports are due.” She raised $1.2 million, but used the occasion to subtlely point to her DFL opponents wealth by calling for more personal financial disclosure saying “the truth is that current Minnesota law leaves more questions than answers.” While Kelliher created some concern in DFL ranks by being the last Democrat to get a TV commercial on the air, her fundraising still out-paces Republican Tom Emmer.
The GOP-endorsed gubernatorial candidate released his fundraising stats a full day after Kelliher on Monday afternoon. Emmer’s total hit $900,000 and he took the opportunity to contrast his clearer shot to November by saying “Our unified Republican ticket has allowed us to steadily raise the money we’ll need for the general election.” Both endorsed candidates noted their contributions from individuals. Emmer received support from 4,480 donors with an average contribution of $195. Kelliher had contributions from 3,523 individuals for an average contribution of $218.
Late in the day, DFLer Matt Entenza announced total receipts of $3.9 million, but he spent most of it with just over a hundred thousand cash on hand after an aggressive ad campaign. The former minority leader said “We raised 2/3rds of a million dollars in this race with almost no money from PACS or lobbyists. Looking at our report voters will know that Matt Entenza is not beholden to the special interests that plague our elections.” He directly took on the Republican rival noting pro-Emmer groups could spend at least $10 million “DFL voters want a candidate who has the resources to win in November.” More candidate numbers are expected later today and tomorrow.
Later yet, around 7 pm Independence Party-endorsed Tom Horner announced his campaign raised almost $190,000 from more than 1,100 donors. “Since officially announcing my candidacy in May, I’ve been working to develop a solid base of donors to propel us forward in the coming months,” Horner said.
