Gilmore playing catchup to Mark Warner in fundraising

WSLS News Staff & Media General News Service
Published: July 15, 2008

Updated 2:24 p.m.

Former Virginia Democratic Governor Mark Warner surpasses his previous fundraising totals for his U.S. Senate campaign, while former Republican Governor Jim Gilmore has some catching up to do.

Warner’s campaign reported raising $2,928,572 in the second quarter that ended June 30th, to the Federal Election Commission.  The campaign says more than 81% of the individual donors during the second quarter, were Virginians.

The campaign reported ending the quarter with about $5.1 million cash-on-hand.

The Warner campaign’s previous fundraising high came during the fourth quarter of 2007, in which the campaign reported raising $2.7 million.  In the first quarter of 2008, the campaign reported raising $2.5 million.

Gilmore is just getting going.  His campaign reported raising just $250,000 from May 12th to June 30th, and $480,000 from March through June.  Warner did not have a primary to win, like Gilmore did.  Gilmore defeated fellow Republican Bob Marshall with 50.3% of the vote.  Gilmore had raised one million dollars for the primary.

Gilmore’s campaign says he began July with $116,000 cash on hand.

The candidates’ first debate is this weekend at The Homestead resort.