Fundraising reports released Saturday from the candidates who want to be Minnesota's next governor revealed details about their spending that previous releases did not.
Republican candidate Scott Honour, making his first run for office, raised about $500,000 from donors and put in $101,000 of his own cash. He spent it nearly as quickly as he raised it, largely on consultants and staff, leaving him with $14,000 at year's end.
Honour, a businessman who reported $1.7 million in income in 2012, said he can keep his campaign in cash for the long haul.
"To win statewide in Minnesota as a Republican, you have to spend the time and money to build the infrastructure of a successful campaign and you have to be able to keep raising money," Honour said in a statement.
State Rep. Kurt Zellers and state Sen. Dave Thompson, who are also vying for the GOP nod, also spent their cash at a fast clip.
Zellers raised about $400,000 and had $115,000 left. Thompson raised $126,000 and had $50,000 left.
Former state Rep. Marty Seifert and Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson were more frugal. Seifert brought in $150,000, including a $20,000 loan from himself, and had most it left at the end of the year. Johnson raised $248,000 and had $169,000 left.
DFL Gov. Dayton beat them all. Dayton, who has largely self-funded his campaigns in the past, has put none of his personal funds into his re- election bid.
He ended last year with $770,000 in the bank. He raised $1.1 million from others, including many who share his last name.
"It's not my favorite activity," he said of fundraising. "But I'm doing it."
Rachel E. Stassen-Berger, Glenn Howatt, Abby Simons