Kline keeps fundraising lead in Second District

Updated: July 9, 2012 - 10:41 PM

hide

Rep. John Kline is leading opponent Mike Obermueller, raising $428,000 to Obermueller’s $252,976 in the second quarter.

Photo: Tom Wallace, Star Tribune

Camera Star Tribune photo galleries

Camera view larger

12
comments
resize text
print
buy reprints

Tweet
share

email
Email share

your name

your email

recipients email

+ add a comment add a comment

WASHINGTON - Former DFL state Rep. Mike Obermueller, a U.S. House candidate in Minnesota's Second Congressional District, raised $252,976 in the second quarter of this year in his bid to unseat Republican John Kline.

Obermueller began fundraising after winning the DFL endorsement at the end of April and still has more than $214,400 banked for his campaign.

But his fundraising haul still leaves him more than $1 million behind Kline, a veteran incumbent who chairs the influential U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee.

Kline raised $428,000 during the second quarter of 2012 and has more than $1.3 million in the bank for his re-election bid, a campaign spokesman said last week. Kline has represented the Second Congressional District since 2003 and has handily won each election since, but redrawn political maps have left him with a less conservative district.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which backs Democrats in competitive U.S. House races, is looking to capitalize on the boundary changes. The organization pledged to support Obermueller's campaign, offering financial, communication and strategic support.

The Second Congressional District covers most of suburban and rural portion of the southern Twin Cities metro area.

June 30 marked the deadline for the campaign finance reporting period that covered the months of April, May and June. Candidates have until Sunday to report their final number to the Federal Election Commission.

COREY MITCHELL