Clinton Has $24 Million for Primaries

Graphic shows how much campaign money Rudy Giuliani has raised from Jan. 1 to March 31, 2007; 1c x 2 1/4 inches; 46.5 mm x 57 mm (Dgm - AP)

But Clinton's mighty campaign chest shared the spotlight with Obama's fundraising. He culled donors from the traditional centers of wealth _ California, New York and Florida, and his home state of Illinois _ but also through the Internet. Altogether he had 104,000 individual donors, the largest number of contributors for any candidate. Clinton had more than 60,000 contributors.

Edwards, a former trial lawyer and senator from North Carolina, led all other candidates in contributions from lawyers, with $4.9 million. One of firms whose employees contributed significantly to his campaign was Lerach Coughlin, one of the most feared class action law firms on Wall Street. The firm, led by William S. Lerach, has filed hundreds of high-profile lawsuits on behalf of investors.

Among other Democrats, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., reported $6.4 million in cash on hand for the primary election. That money includes a transfer from his Senate campaign account of nearly $5 million.

Meanwhile, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson showed surprising fundraising considering a late start and a state legislative session that occupied much of his time. He reported raising $6.25 million and $5 million cash on hand.

Sen. Joe Biden ended the quarter with a balance of $2.8 million.

As often happens in a primary, many donors did not commit their money to single candidates. For instance, David Geffen, who caused a stir when he sharply criticized Hillary and Bill Clinton, held a fundraiser for Obama and donated to Edwards and Dodd. And actress Kate Capshaw Spielberg, wife of Steven Spielberg, contributed to both Clinton and Edwards.

Among Republicans who filed earlier, Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, was the fundraising leader, with $20.7 million in donations. But Giuliani, the former New York mayor, stayed even with him with cash on hand. Both have more than $10 million in the bank.

Meanwhile, McCain, the Arizona senator perceived as an early leader in the race, had half as much money in the bank as each of his two main rivals and had a $1.8 million debt.

That said, Romney is still fighting to gain name recognition. Though he spent more than $1.8 million in ads to publicize his face in key states, polls still place him in third or fourth place, sometimes trailing Republicans who aren't even in the race.

Giuliani is leading in the polls, buttressed by his image for unflappability after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. But his donor base is the smallest among the leaders.

After spending more on staff than Romney or Giuliani did, McCain is now cutting his payroll and is revamping his fundraising operation.

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Associated Press Writer John Dunbar contributed to this report.