Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe reported raising nearly $450,000 last month for his re-election campaign.
His Republican opponent, businessman Jim Keet, reported raising $50,696 in March, including a $16,250 personal loan to his campaign.
Also today, U.S. Rep. John Boozman, R-Rogers, reported raising $683,000 during the first three months of the year for his race for the U.S. Senate.
Democratic Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, who previously announced he had raised more than $2 million for his U.S. Senate campaign in March, released a campaign finance report today showing the exact amount he raised was $2,059,710.
Today was the deadline candidates for state office to file monthly reports and candidates for federal office to file quarterly financial reports.
Beebe, who has no opposition in the May 18 Democratic primary, reported raising $418,285 for the primary and another $31,000 for the November general election campaign.
He reported spending $122,076 for the primary, leaving him with $1.57 million cash on hand — $1.37 million for the primary and $199,000 for the general election.
Keet reported spending $23,019 last month and had $27,677 in the bank.
Of the $683,000 Boozman reported raising, more than half was a transfer from his House re-election bid, which he abandoned in February to run for the Senate.
One of eight Republicans running for Democratic U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s seat, Boozman reported having $563,000 cash on hand at the end of March.
Halter, who is challenging Lincoln in a Democratic primary, reported having $1,064,188 on hand at the end of last month.
In the lieutenant governor’s race, Republican Mark Darr of Rogers reported raising $696 in March and spending $6,563, leaving him with $100,751 in the bank. The report showed he transferred $106,620 from his exploratory committee over to his primary election campaign.
Darr faces Republican Donnie Copeland of Sherwood in the May Republican primary.
State Sen. Shane Broadway, who has no opposition in the May primary for lieutenant governor, reported raising $83,659 in March and spending $12,043. He had $92,374 cash on hand at the end of the month.
In the 2nd District congressional race, Republican Tim Griffin reported raising $183,765 in the first quarter for his race for the GOP nomination.
Griffin’s fundraising for the first three months of the year brought his total contributions to $575,527, his campaign said in a news release. He had $404,363 on hand at the end of March.
Griffin, a Little Rock lawyer, is one of two GOP candidates for the 2nd District seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock.
State Sen. Joyce Elliott of Little Rock, one of five Democrats seeking the 2nd District congressional seat, reported raising $123,000 during the first three months of the year. She reported spending about $24,000 and having about $99,000 cash on hand.
