Giuliani, Romney campaigns close in second-quarter fund-raising

Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani raised $15 million in primary election contributions from April through June, while rival Mitt Romney raised $14 million in the second quarter and added $6.5 million from his personal wealth, the Associated Press reports.

Giuliani also raised $2 million earmarked for the general election, should he win the Republican nomination. In the first quarter he raised $15 million for the primary season and $1 million for the general election.

Romney's fund-raising fell short of his first quarter, when he raised $20.6 million and lent himself $2.35 million. His campaign reported $12 million cash on hand, equal to the amount he had in the bank at the end of the first quarter. Aides said the campaign also boosted its number of donors from 32,000 in the first quarter to 80,000 for the first six months of the year.

Giuliani, the gay-friendly former mayor of New York City, and Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and a foe of the state's same-sex marriage law, both surpassed rival John McCain, who reported $11.2 million raised during the second quarter but only $2 million cash on hand. McCain reported having 72,000 donors overall.

Romney is the wealthiest candidate in the entire presidential field, with assets estimated at between $190 million and $250 million. His total stake in the campaign now is $8.85 million.

As the least known of the leading Republican candidates, Romney has tried to boost his name recognition with television ads, representing at least $4 million in spending during the first six months of the year. The ads have helped increase his standing in public opinion polls.

Romney's total revenue for the year, including his loans, is nearly $44 million. He has spent about $32 million.

Details of his fund-raising and spending, as well as that of other presidential candidates, won't be apparent until they file extensive finance reports with the Federal Election Commission by mid July.

Romney is not the only one to suffer a lag in fund-raising. McCain lost ground in the second quarter as well, forcing him to restructure his campaign and consider accepting public financing for the primaries. But Romney remains in a relatively strong position with his cash on hand and his growing donor base, which the campaign had set as a goal at the end of the first three months. (The Advocate)