Former gubernatorial candidate and state Rep. Tom Emmer is the leading fundraiser in the race to replace retiring Republican U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann.
Emmer reported $206,000 in campaign contributions through the first three months of 2014, while his opponents continue to rely largely on their own bank accounts.
Anoka County Board Chairwoman Rhonda Sivarajah and former state Rep. Phil Krinkie continued fund their own campaigns, with Sivarajah giving her campaign $170,000 while Krinkie spent $50,000 of his own money.
Donors contributed $12,000 to Krinkie and just $2,740 to Sivarajah during the fundraising period.
Including the personal contributions to his campaign, Krinkie has the most cash-on-hand with $291,000 banked. The total is nearly $40,000 more than Emmer's $253,000. Sivarajah has $192,500 in reserves.
Emmer won the party endorsement at the Sixth District Republican convention over the weekend and Bachmann publicly backed his campaign Tuesday.
Sivarajah and Krinkie said they will remain in the race until the mid-August primary.
The GOP primary winner will be a heavy favorite come November, because the Sixth Congressional District is the state's most conservative.
So far, political science professor Jim Read is the only Democratic candidate to file a first quarter campaign finance report. Read raised $26,771 and has $34,171 cash on hand.
