AUGUSTA (AP) — U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud’s campaign said Monday that the Democrat has raised more than $1 million in his bid to become Maine governor.
Michaud, who faces Republican Gov. Paul LePage and independent Eliot Cutler, will be reporting $700,000 he raised in the last half of 2013. That’s in addition to the $313,000 he raised last June after he announced he had formed an exploratory committee and was raising money for a possible run, his campaign said.
Michaud’s campaign said no other privately financed candidate has raised that much from so many donors this early in a gubernatorial race in Maine. Donations have come from more than 3,700 donors and that 45 percent of those gave $50 or less, it said.
Michaud said it’s clear that Maine voters are hungry a change.
“I’m deeply humbled by the large number of people who’ve donated their hard-earned money to support my campaign even in these tough economic times,” he said in a statement.
Campaign fundraising reports must be filed by Jan. 15 at midnight. Neither LePage nor Cutler have released fundraising information or filed reports yet.
Brent Littlefield, political adviser for LePage’s campaign, said Michaud “has been schooled in the ways of Washington where raising campaign cash is a higher priority than solving people’s problems.”
Crystal Canney, a spokeswoman for Cutler’s campaign, said it is pleased with its fundraising but won’t be filing until Jan. 15.
She said it will look at how many donors gave to both Michaud’s primary and general election as a more accurate reflection of his support. Democratic and Republican candidates can collect $3,000 per person — or $1,500 for both the primary and general elections.
Because Cutler is an independent, the maximum amount a person can donate to his campaign is $1,500.
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