ShareBruning still best funded in Neb. Senate race
Margery A. BeckRepublican U.S. Senate front-runner Jon Bruning remains far ahead of the GOP field in fundraising, according to his campaign's latest release, but fellow Republican candidate Don Stenberg saw a large infusion of cash last quarter from a tea party interest.
Bruning, Nebraska's attorney general, raised more than $400,000 in the fourth quarter that ended Dec. 31, his campaign said Wednesday in a news release. The statement also said Bruning has raised $2.8 million for the election cycle and has nearly $1.7 million cash on hand.
"Nebraska families want a senator who will fight to cut spending, balance the budget and repeal Obamacare," Bruning said in the release. "I'm incredibly humbled and honored by the generosity of Nebraskans who share my conservative vision for our country."
Bruning's campaign did not produce the actual campaign finance filing that is due next Tuesday, and the filing hadn't appeared on the Federal Election Commission's website by late Thursday.
Don Stenberg, Nebraska's state treasurer, raised nearly $252,000 in the fourth quarter, giving him almost $384,000 for the election cycle, according to a quarterly finance filing provided by his campaign. The bulk of his fundraising came from the Senate Conservatives Fund, a political action committee chaired by tea party leader Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina.
"We will continue building our Nebraska and national base of Reagan-tea-party-conservatives who are fed up with establishment politics and want a genuine, lifelong conservative in Washington," Stenberg said.
Even with the infusion, Stenberg had $177,000 on hand _ a tenth of the cash Bruning boasts.
Both men, as well as state Sen. Deb Fischer and Columbus businessman Pat Flynn, are seeking the GOP nomination to replace Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, who announced last month that he would not seek a third term. No Democrats have declared their intention to seek their party's nomination, although former U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey is considering a run.
Flynn's campaign said he raised $28,070 during the fourth quarter and $165,795 total during the election cycle. But Flynn's campaign finished 2011 owing $57,500 because of loans Flynn either took out or guaranteed himself.
A campaign aide for Fischer said her fourth-quarter campaign finance report would not be ready until next week.