Mike Ross, a Democratic former congressman running for governor, raised $1.12 million from July through September, boosting his campaign contribution total to $3 million, his campaign said in a news release on Tuesday (Oct. 15).
That total is a record amount in an Arkansas governor’s race for the second quarter of campaigning, almost doubling the $675,000 Democrat Mike Beebe raised in his second quarter of campaigning in 2005, according to the news release. Ross announced his candidacy on April 17.
Ross reports having $2.4 million in cash on hand.
“We have recently moved into a statistical dead heat with our likely Republican opponent, and I am humbled by the continued support from all across Arkansas that has given us another record-breaking fundraising quarter,” Ross said in the news release.
Republican contender Asa Hutchinson reported raising $390,000 in the third quarter, bringing his total contributions to $1.12 million, according to a campaign news release. Hutchinson reported having $1 million in cash on hand. He has contributed a personal loan of $62,000 to the campaign, records show.
Hutchinson’s news release notes he leads Ross in a Talk Business/Hendrix College statewide poll released Sunday by 41-37 percent.
“My goal was to end this quarter with $1 million dollars cash on hand,” he states in the release.
Campaign contribution reports for the third quarter of 2013 were due Oct. 15.
Other Republicans vying for governor are Debra Hobbs and Curtis Coleman.
In other races, U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., raised more than $1 million in campaign contributions from July through the end of September, he said in a news release.
In his re-election bid against first-term U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Pryor now has $4.4 million in cash on hand, including the $1.04 million he raised in the third quarter of 2013, according to the news release. Pryor’s campaign reports that he has no debt.
Cotton raised $1.069 in the third quarter and has $1.8 million in cash on hand, according to his campaign.
Meanwhile, in the lieutenant governor’s race, Democrat John Burkhalter reported raising $530,195 in the quarter, which is his first full quarter of fund-raising, his campaign said in a news release. He announced his candidacy on June 11.
With a $25,000 personal loan to the campaign, Burkhalter’s fundraising total for the quarter is $555,195.
Other lieutenant governor candidates include Republican state Reps. Charlie Collins of Fayetteville and Andy Mayberry of Hensley.
