Democrat Tim Kaine matched his strongest fundraising quarter yet in his bid for Virginia’s open U.S. Senate seat, pulling in $2.2 million over the last three months.
Moreover, Kaine spent only about half of his take, and still has $4.4 million left in the bank, up from the $3.3 million he had on hand at the end of 2011.
“Over the coming weeks, Gov. Kaine will continue to share his ideas on how to create jobs by allowing businesses to hire and expand, build a talent economy with quality education and workforce development opportunities, and reduce our deficit with significant cuts and strategic investments,” said Kaine spokeswoman Brandi Hoffine.
The news caps a positive week for Kaine, who learned last Thursday that he’d face no Democratic opposition for the Senate nomination in the race to replace retiring Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va. Republican frontrunner George Allen has to beat three primary challengers for the right to face Kaine in the fall.
Allen’s campaign did not immediately respond to inquiries about his first quarter totals. Allen reported he had about $2.2 million on hand at the end of last year.
Kaine has outpaced Allen’s fundraising efforts throughout much of the race, but money is not expected to be a problem for either campaign. Both candidates are being aided by super PACs and independent outside organizations hoping to influence what is expected to be one of the season’s premiere Senate races.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other groups are already running ads against Kaine, whose own campaign is expected to get a boost from President Obama.
Both Allen and Kaine were governors of Virginia. Allen also served one term in the U.S. Senate and is looking to recapture that seat after losing it in 2006 to Webb. Kaine was chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
