Clinton Builds Top War Chest, but Challengers Not Far Behind

Apr 01, 09:50 PM

Current Headlines: WASHINGTON _ With a war chest of $36 million, Sen. Hillary Clinton was the clear winner Sunday in the first heat of the presidential fund-raising derby, but her two closest competitors raked in more than enough cash to stay competitive.

Clinton's staff said the New York senator had raised $26 million in the first quarter to set a record for primary candidates. She also shifted an additional $10 million left over from her Senate reelection campaign to total $36 million.

Clinton handlers acknowledged that her two closest Democratic rivals, Sen. Barack Obama and John Edwards, had pulled in enough funding to mount effective challenges through the primary season.

"No one said we were going to walk away with this," said Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe, former head of the Democratic National Committee.

Obama, D-Ill., was said to have raised in the range of $20 million, a prodigious amount for a first-term senator. Obama declined to discuss numbers, but told The Associated Press: "I think we'll do well. I think that we should meet people's expectations."

Edwards' campaign said he raised $14 million. "We're completely on track to have all the money that we need to be highly competitive in the campaign," said Jonathan Prince, deputy campaign manager for the former North Carolina senator.

Republican hopefuls, including former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, did not disclose their fund-raising figures Sunday. Under federal law, they have until April 15 to do so.

Clinton's totals, with more than $4 million raised online and donations from all 50 states, set a record for the first quarter. The previous primary fund-raising record was $7.4 million, raised by Edwards in the first quarter of 2003.

Clinton's money-raising prowess could discourage second-tier candidates from staying in the race.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson reported raising about $6 million, and Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., told "Fox News Sunday" he had taken in about $3 million.

"Going forward, we are poised to continue this success and make even more history," said Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle.

Clinton was to be in Elizabeth, N.J., on Monday for the expected endorsement of New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, who has pushed to move the state's primary date up to Feb. 5, and then will campaign in Iowa. Edwards and Obama had scheduled appearances in New Hampshire.

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(New York Daily New reporter Helen Kennedy contributed to this report.)

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