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Kerry raised 233n most ever for democrat Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=71000001&refer=top_world_news&sid=aJF2nAN8KSBghttp://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=71000001&refer=top_world_news&sid=aJF2nAN8KSBg
Kerry Raised $233 Million, Most Ever for a Democrat (Update1)
Aug. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Democrat John Kerry took in a total of $233.4 million in campaign contributions before accepting the party's presidential nomination last month, more money than any Democratic candidate in history, Federal Election Commission filings show.
Kerry came close to the record $242 million raised by President George W. Bush, FEC records show. Both candidates turned down partial federal funding of their pre-convention campaigns, opting to raise money privately instead, with no limits. It was the first time neither presidential nominee accepted federal funding since the campaign- finance law enacted in 1974 after the Watergate scandals.
Both campaigns, which will accept $75 million each in federal funding for the general election, touted the fact that they received more than 1 million donations.
``On the strength of nearly 1 million Americans, we nearly matched our opponent's primary total,'' Kerry campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill said in a statement.
Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlman said the president's fund- raising shows that ``enthusiasm continues to grow among Americans for President Bush.''
Four years ago, Bush raised a then-record $101 million. Democrat Al Gore, who unlike Bush accepted federal money in return for agreeing to limit his private fund-raising, took in $52 million.
Advertising Blitz
Kerry, a four-term U.S. senator from Massachusetts, spent $185.4 million before he was nominated at the Democratic National Convention in Boston, including $6.4 million to repay a personal loan he took out by mortgaging his home before the Iowa caucuses in January.
Last month, Kerry raised $47.2 million and spent $36.4 million, including about $25 million on advertising. Bush raised $14 million and spent $45.8 million, including $38.3 million on ads.
Kerry had $48 million in the bank as of July 31. He can transfer that money to the Democratic National Committee, which will run ads and conduct get-out-the-vote operations to support his campaign.
Having accepted $75 million in federal funds to finance his general election campaign, Kerry can no longer raise or spend any private money except to pay legal and accounting expenses.
Bush, 58, has until Sept. 2 to continue raising and spending private money, at which time he also will receive the $75 million federal allotment. Bush is to be renominated at the Republican National Convention in New York City, which runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2. Through July 31, he spent $209.5 million and had $32.5 million in the bank.
Since Kerry has to make his federal money last five weeks longer than Bush, he is not running advertisements this month.
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