Posted on 04/25/2003 12:00:10 PM PDT by JohnnyZ
FRANKFORT -- Candidates for governor and other statewide constitutional offices have raised more than $11.4 million and spent more than $6.8 million, according to new campaign finance reports.
Those running for offices other than governor filed their first campaign finance reports of the season this week. Gubernatorial candidates have until Friday to file an updated batch of reports with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. The primary election is May 20.
Aside from the race for governor -- which has eight candidates, four from each major party -- the race for attorney general has shaped up as the most expensive.
Six candidates in the race have gathered $768,782 -- more than half of it by Democrat Greg Stumbo -- and spent $333,161. Stumbo and his two Democratic rivals account for the lion's share of fund raising. Three Republicans have mustered just over $32,000.
Stumbo, majority leader of the Kentucky House, reported raising $398,185. He reported spending $131,172.
Former Attorney General Chris Gorman, who is trying to regain the office he held from 1992 to 1996, raised nearly $211,000 and spent about $145,000. The third Democrat in the race, state Auditor Ed Hatchett, had raised $127,000 and spent $49,000.
State Treasurer Jonathan Miller, the only constitutional officer eligible to seek re-election this year, has topped $400,000 in fund raising. His opponent, Kenton County Commissioner Adam Koenig, reported less than $12,000. Neither has a primary opponent.
In the race for secretary of state, Democrats have raised more than $348,000 while spending $80,000. Democrat Russ Maple far exceeds two primary opponents with $307,000 raised and $47,000 spent.
The lone Republican candidate, Trey Grayson, has raised $112,000 without a primary.
Eight Democrats running for commissioner of agriculture have raked in $354,000 while spending a combined $134,742.
There are eight Democratic candidates and two Republican candidates in the primary. Roy Massey, a former Department of Agriculture administrator from Frankfort, leads that field with more than $145,000 raised and $46,600 spent.
On the Republican side, Richie Farmer of Manchester, a former University of Kentucky basketball player, reported raising $36,055 and spending about half of it. His lone opponent, Leonard "Buck" Beasley of Bloomfield, reported raising just $450 and spending nothing. Beasley was the Republican nominee for commissioner 12 years ago.
Seven candidates for state auditor have raised more than $300,000 and spent about $120,000 so far. Most of it -- $216,000 -- was raised by Democrat Crit Luallen, a former top aide to Gov. Paul Patton.
On the Republican side, Osi Onyekwuluje of Bowling Green reported raising $41,000 and spending about $33,000.
Totals for the state's gubernatorial race fluctuate, as candidates file 24-hour reports with the registry every day. They have until Friday to file their next round of campaign finance reports.
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