In the first quarter of fundraising for his 2012 U.S. Senate bid, Democrat Timothy M. Kaine has raised $2.25 million, his campaign reports.
The figure marks a strong start for Kaine's campaign, which was already $1.5 million behind fellow former governor and Republican opponent George Allen's when Kaine entered the race in early April.
Allen's second-quarter figures are not yet available, a spokeswoman said Monday, and neither were figures for Republican candidate Jamie Radtke, who raised $55,000 in the first quarter.
Tim Donner, a Northern Virginia television production company owner seeking the GOP nomination, has raised $206,000 since entering the race two months ago. Of that total, $115,000 was self-funded.
Finance reports are due to the Federal Elections Commission by July 15.
Larry Sabato, a political scientist and director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, called Kaine's numbers "a good start for what will be a ridiculously expensive campaign."
As one of the nation's marquee 2012 races, Sabato estimated that the frontrunners' would need between $20 million to $30 million, including money raised through outside groups.
http://www2.wsls.com/news/2011/jul/05/tdmet01-kaine-raises-225-million-toward-2012-ar-1151873/
