Presidential candidates raising money at record pace (3rd Roundup)

Apr 2, 2007, 21:39 GMT

Washington - US presidential candidates have raised a whopping 103 million dollars in the first three months this year, the highest pace ever in US history, with New York Senator Hillary Clinton collecting about one-quarter of it.

The wide-open race for the White House in 2008 - the first in decades where no incumbent is in the race - has quickened the pace by nearly a year, with a long list of candidates throwing their hats in the ring.

Clinton, re-elected in November to a second term in the Senate, has raised 26 million dollars.

She is seeking a return to the White House, where she spent eight years as first lady with her husband, Bill Clinton, president from 1993-2001. Clinton, a Democrat, also added 10 million dollars in leftover cash from her senate campaign, bringing her war chest to a total of 36 million dollars.

The previous record for fundraising for this period was Al Gore, then-sitting vice president when he raked in 8.9 million dollars in January-March 1999 for the 2000 presidential race.

For the Republicans, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney reported 23 million dollars for the January to March period of 2007, while former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani filed a total of 15 million dollars. Senator John McCain reported 12.5 million dollars.

Following Clinton, the leading Democrat was former vice presidential nominee John Edwards of North Carolina, who announced that his campaign had raised 14 million dollars.

Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, who is holding second in the polls after Clinton, has not yet announced his first-quarter fundraising.

Clinton was widely expected to lead presidential contenders in the centre-left Democratic Party in fundraising for the January-March period and is considered the front runner for her party's presidential nomination.

The first event to decide the major-party nominations is the Iowa caucus in January 2008, followed by major primary elections in at least half the states in February.

Among other Democrats, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson reported 6 million dollars, Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd collected 4 million dollars and Delaware Senator Joe Biden took in 3 million dollars, the Post reported.