DFL challenger raised more money than incumbent Rep. Chip Cravaack between July and September as money poured into northern Minnesota's fiercely contested eighth district race.

The Nolan for Congress campaign announced Friday that it raised $484,663 in the third quarter, topping the $471,183 the Cravaack campaign announced Thursday.

The incumbent still holds a significant fundraising advantage. Cravaack ended September with $1.1 million in cash on hand, compared to Nolan's $464,824. The Nolan campaign noted that it picked up contributions from 2,604 new donors since the August primary.

"The momentum continues to build for Rick Nolan," Nolan campaign manager Michael Misterek said in a statement. "Rick Nolan is leading in the polls and receiving record contributions because voters know the only way we can get the country back on track is to grow the economy from the middle out, not the top down. As we enter the final weeks of the campaign, it's clear that voters are rejecting Chip Cravaack's Tea Party agenda and his unwavering support of the Ryan plan to privatize Medicare and give more tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires."

Outside interest groups have thrown more than $4 million into the eighth district race already and the donations are likely to increase in the final weeks.

Recent polls show the two candidates tied in a statistical dead heat.

In response, to the Nolan announcement, Cravaack campaign adviser Ben Golnik said: "Yesterday, the Cravaack for Congress campaign announced its strongest fundraising quarter to date, over $471,000. This cycle, the campaign has raised nearly $2 million and ended the third quarter with $1.1 million in the bank. Despite millions of dollars of misleading and false attack ads from outside groups, Chip Cravaack will continue to communicate his positive pro-growth message to bring more jobs back to the 8th District."