The Independence Party's U.S. Senator-for-a-month Dean Barkley sent out a fundraising and support email for the IP's gubernatorial candidate Tom Horner and asked for donors to make Horner eligible for a state campaign subsidy.

"I am reaffirming and announcing my official endorsement for Tom Horner, Independence Party candidate for governor," Barkley wrote.

Barkley, who nurtured the small third party in Minnesota, helped former Gov. Jesse Ventura win the 1998 race and run for office several times himself. When the late U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone died in office in 2002, Ventura appointed Barkley to serve out the Democrat's term. In 2008 he captured about 15 percent of the vote in the U.S. Senate race but he has not brought in big money for his efforts.

While pre-primary campaign finance reports will not be public for a few weeks, the email from Barkley may offer a clue on how many small donations Horner has gathered so far.

"By sending Tom a contribution today you can put him over the top and make him eligible to receive an additional $450,000 in public subsidy funds from the state," Barkley's email said.

Horner will have to get at least $35,000 in contributions of $50 or less to qualify for the subsidy. If he qualifies, and survives the Aug. 10 primary, he would get at least $240,000 from the state in late August, according to the campaign finance board. The amount would increase if one of the other major party candidates for governor doesn't agree to the public subsidy rules.

Horner isn't the only candidate working to gin up enough small dollar donations to reach the subsidy threshold.

In the last few weeks, Republican Party chair Tony Sutton sent out entreaties for small dollar contributions for GOP-endorsed candidates Chris Barden, who is running for attorney general, and Pat Anderson, who is running for auditor, to help them achieve the public subsidy.

"For Pat to qualify to receive public subsidy funds, which could be in excess of $50,000, she will need the help of our best supporters. State campaign finance rules require that Pat raise at least $6,000 in individual contributions of $25 or $50. 120 individual contributions of at least $50 or 240 individual contributions of at least $25 will get Pat those badly needed funds! Please click here to contribute now and help her to win in November," Sutton wrote in an email on Anderson's behalf this week.

Barden need only raise $15,000 in small dollar donors and Anderson needs $6,000, according to the campaign finance board.