Former U.S. Rep. Chris Shays raised more than Linda McMahon, his Republican rival for a U.S. Senate seat, in the second quarter of this year, the Shays campaign said Friday.
He also raised more money than a Democratic Senate candidate Susan Bysiewicz.
Shays raised nearly $531,000 from April until the end of June, the campaign said. That means Shays has raised about $1.4 million so far in his bid to win retiring U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s seat.
McMahon, meanwhile, raised only $144,488 from individuals in the second quarter. But McMahon has been largely self-financing her campaign and has spent more than $4 million — much more than any other Senate candidate.
Communications Director Tim Murtaugh declined to say how much McMahon has loaned her campaign in the last few months.
“All other information will be on our filing Monday,” he said.
Bysiewicz’s campaign said she raised $355,000 in the quarter.
But with nearly $1 million in cash-on-hand at the end of the quarter Bysiewicz’s campaign “has the resources we need for the (Aug. 14) primary” said campaign manager Jonathan Ducote.
All Senate candidates are required to mail in their campaign finance reports for the second quarter by July 15. But that falls on a Sunday. Those reports will give more details of the candidate fundraising and spending than the releases that have been put out by the campaigns.
Like many Republican candidates, Shays is taking advantage of last month’s Supreme Court decision upholding most of the Affordable Care Act to raise money.
“Help me repeal Obamacare. We have a critical fundraising deadline today with the end of the quarter. Donate $10 today,” says recent fundraising pitch.
Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5th District, who is also running for the Senate seat, released his numbers earlier this week. His campaign reported raising $1.2 million in the second quarter.