Story Created:
Apr 15, 2008 at 3:23 PM EST
Story Updated:
Apr 15, 2008 at 3:49 PM EST
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels has outraised and outspent the two Democrats who want his job — and has four times more money left in the bank than Jim Schellinger and Jill Long Thompson combined.
Daniels raised $1.5 million between Jan. 1 and March 31, bringing his total to $8.3 million, according to quarterly campaign finance reports filed Tuesday with the Indiana Election Division.
Daniels spent more than $3 million during the first three months of the year, leaving his campaign with nearly $5.3 million on hand at the end of that period. Those expenditures include advertising through the May 6 primary, said campaign spokesman Cam Savage.
It's not surprising for an incumbent governor to rake in millions of dollars in donations.
But it is striking that Daniels has spent so much money this early even though he has no primary challenger, said Robert Dion, a professor of American politics at the University of Evansville. Commercials now could lay a foundation for the fall campaign and help inoculate Daniels from criticisms coming his way later, Dion said.
"To have an unopposed governor spending his way through millions seems to suggest that he feels the need to speak to the voters," he said.
One Daniels ad seems to be a direct message to those who disagree with his controversial proposals, including statewide daylight saving time and leasing the Indiana Toll Road. In the commercial, Daniels says he doesn't expect anyone to agree with all the changes he's made and that he understands that some people think it's too much too soon.
Democrats say they expect Daniels to spend huge amounts of money.
"He's going to need every dime of that to redefine himself as someone who's electable," said Jennifer Wagner, campaign spokeswoman for Schellinger.
Schellinger raised about $511,000 from Jan. 1 through March 31 to bring his total donations to $2.3 million. He spent $1.6 million during those three months, however, leaving his campaign with $715,000 on hand at the end of the reporting period.
Former U.S. Rep. Jill Long Thompson has less cash. She raised $470,000 from January through March for a total of $908,000. She spent $424,000 during that time, and her campaign has $484,000 left on hand.
"Mr. Schellinger was obviously the hand-picked candidate of the party bosses in Indianapolis," said Jeff Harris, a spokesman for Long Thompson. "The fact that we're in the same neighborhood speaks volumes about Jill's candidacy and our campaign."
Democrats haven't raised very much money so far, Dion noted, especially when compared to the 2004 race when Daniels and former Gov. Joe Kernan raised a state record $33 million.
"There was every indication that this one was going to be hard fought and potentially expensive," Dion said. "We're nowhere near a record-breaking pace right now."
Part of the problem could be that Democrats have focused much of their attention this year on the hotly contested presidential primary between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.
Dion expects Democratic contributions to pick up once the primary is over and a single candidate emerges. Of course, Daniels will continue his fundraising efforts and his campaign is getting ready for an expensive race.
"We're certainly preparing for that," Savage said. "Our goal is to have the resources to tell our story."
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On the Web:
http://campaignfinance.in.gov
