Analysis: Funds Separate '08 Contenders

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, center, greets supporters outside city hall in Elizabeth, N.J., Monday, April 2, 2007. New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, not seen here, endorsed Clinton's campaign for the Democratic nomination for president during the campaign event. (AP Photo/Mike Derer) (Mike Derer - AP)

So far, the Democratic side has had few surprises. That, however, could change when Obama, a freshman Illinois senator, discloses his numbers.

For now, Clinton has raked in the most among candidates who have reported their results, with $26 million. It wasn't immediately clear just how much was primary and general election money. Nevertheless, the Democratic front-runner, who has an immense donor network, set the bar for the rest of the field, as expected.

For his part, Edwards collected $14 million, including $1 million for the general election. That's double what he raised in the first quarter of 2003 during his first presidential run, and in the ballpark of what the ex-North Carolina senator had hoped to raise. The total put him securely in the top tier.

Several other Democrats trail Clinton and Edwards but are hoping to break through in subsequent fundraising quarters. They include New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who raised $6 million.

The outcome was far less predictable on the Republican side.

Romney reported a $23 million take _ a surprising amount even though he's known as a deft fundraiser. Of that, $2.35 million was a loan from the candidate himself. He remains in single digits in most national popularity polls and sought to solidify his standing in the top tier of the GOP field with a substantial fundraising report. He did just that. Now he faces the challenge of sustaining that brisk fundraising pace and building upon that momentum to raise his standing in polls.

Giuliani, who leads the GOP candidates in national surveys by double digits, brought in $15 million in the first quarter even though he dramatically lagged both Romney and McCain in setting up a national campaign organization. The former New York City mayor is a celebrity who has been a huge fundraising draw for the GOP in years' past. His campaign said he raised $10 million alone in March.

Perhaps the most stunning figure came from McCain, the Arizona senator who once was considered the favorite to win the nomination. He collected only $12.5 million. That was far below expectations, given that he spent more than a year building a national campaign organization, collecting endorsements of the Republican establishment and locking up the support of a slew of big-time GOP donors.

McCain now will face extra pressure to post a big number in the second quarter _ and prove he's still a viable candidate.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE _ Liz Sidoti covers politics for The Associated Press.