Republican candidate for governor Kurt Zellers said he raised $403,000 for his campaign, less than DFL Gov. Mark Dayton but more than most other Republicans running for governor.
Zellers, the former speaker of the Minnesota House, is one of a half a dozen Republicans vying for Dayton's job.
So far, among Republicans businessman Scott Honour has raised the most, according to his estimates. He said raised "over $500,000 from individual donors," by the end of December, his campaign said. Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson said "raised over $240,000" last year and, according to reports, state Sen. Dave Thompson said he raised more than $120,000. Republican former House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, who ran for governor in 2010 and is running again, has not released estimates of his fundraising figures.
Dayton, however, leads them all. As of September, he reported he hauled in $630,000 and has said he will report total fundraising of at least $1 million for 2013.
By comparison, former Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty raised about $800,000 for his campaign in 2005, the year before he won his second term. His main Democratic competitor, Attorney General Mike Hatch, raised about $500,000.
Full reports are not due to the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board until the end of the month.
