AUGUSTA – Republican Paul LePage raised the most money among the privately financed candidates for governor during the most recent reporting period, according to reports filed Tuesday with the state.
LePage, Waterville’s mayor, raised $179,077 and lent the campaign $70,000 of his own money. The addition of $14,185 carried over from the previous period gave him total receipts of $263,262 for the most recent period.
After paying some expenses, LePage had a cash balance of $260,176, according to reports to the state Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices.
The reports filed Tuesday reflect money raised from May 26 to July 13.
LePage’s total receipts for the campaign are $539,248. He won a seven-way primary by a wide margin in June to become the Republican nominee.
Eliot Cutler, a privately financed independent candidate, raised $134,910 during the period and lent his campaign $175,000, for total receipts of $309,910. His cash balance at the end of the period was $66,686.
Cutler’s total receipts for the campaign are $895,938.
Democratic Senate President Elizabeth Mitchell is participating in the state’s clean election program so she is not allowed to raise funds for the gubernatorial race. She has received $690,000 from the state for the general election and has $640,000 in cash, according to her campaign.
Mitchell was allotted $600,000 in state money for the primary.
The reports filed Tuesday, the first since the June primary elections, offer a preview of the money race. With more than three months left before the Nov. 2 election, there is plenty of time for the privately financed candidates to raise more cash.
Independent Shawn Moody of Gorham announced Tuesday that he is starting his fundraising efforts by forming a finance committee.
In the spring, Moody, the owner of several auto body repair shops, gave himself $500,000 to launch his campaign. He reported cash and in-kind contributions of $4,725 for the period and has $352,667 in cash on hand, according to a news release from the campaign.
Independent Kevin Scott of Andover reported raising $7,925 in this reporting period and a cash balance of $3,173. His total campaign receipts are $11,287.
On Monday, a poll released by Rasmussen Reports suggested LePage is leading the race with support from 39 percent of the voters, followed by Mitchell at 31 percent and Cutler at 15 percent.
LePage was outspent by a wide margin in the primary, but defeated six other candidates. Mitchell also won by a comfortable margin, although she faced another clean election candidate who received the same amount of money, and a well-funded private contender.
MaineToday Media State House Reporter Susan Cover can be contacted at 620-7015 or at: scover@centralmaine.com
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