WASHINGTON — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign bank account is bulging with nearly $31 million, significantly more than any other candidate of either party in the presidential race, campaign finance reports filed Sunday revealed.
But Sen. Barack Obama, one of Clinton's main rivals for the Democratic nomination, all but matched her dollar for dollar in fundraising during the first 90 days of 2007.
And in a show of strength, Obama raised substantially more than Clinton in funds that can be directed to their primary election contest. Much of Clinton's money was raised for use in the general election and, by law, cannot be directed to her fight for the Democratic nomination.
Despite holding federal office for only two years, Obama raised almost as much as Clinton in the first three months of the year, bringing in $25.7 million to Clinton's $26.1 million, the reports showed. Clinton was able to give herself a boost by transferring into her presidential account $10 million left over from her last Senate race.
After spending, she had $31 million on hand, compared with $19.2 million for Obama. Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, another major Democratic candidate, raised $14 million, with $10.7 million in the bank.
Combined, the top three Democrats raised $66 million -- significantly more than the three top Republicans' $49 million, although the gap probably will narrow as election day nears.
"It is not how much you have today. It is how much when the general election starts," said Doug Ose, a Sacramento-area Republican developer who served three terms in Congress ending in 2005.
California gives to Obama
Obama's strong fundraising had been known, but new details became available as the candidates met a deadline for filing detailed reports. Among the disclosures:
* The Illinois Democrat's biggest donor state was California, providing him with $4.2 million, followed by his home state at $3.8 million. Obama also did well on Clinton's home turf, raising $2.8 million in New York.
* Clinton ceded Illinois to Obama, raising $374,000 there. Her richest vein was in the Northeast, at $9.5 million, including $7 million from New York.
* Clinton raised $5.1 million from California and $3.5 million in Washington, D.C. Obama said he was shunning money from Washington lobbyists and political action committees. He raised $876,000 from the nation's capital.
