Staff report
More than $20 million has poured into the coffers of Republican Elizabeth Dole and Democrat Kay Hagan as they wage a fight for the U.S. Senate race in North Carolina.
But those numbers, contained in Federal Election Commission campaign reports, don’t necessarily count millions of dollars also spent on the candidates’ behalf in media ads, including those paid for by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
According to campaign reports through an Oct. 15 deadline, Dole had raised more than $15.5 million, compared to $6.66 million by Hagan. Dole already had spent almost $13 million as of Oct. 15, and she had loaned her campaign an additional $3 million for the stretch run.
Dole has contributed $122,541 to her re-election effort.
Hagan had spent just over $6 million through Oct. 15, according to the FEC.
Dole went into the final two weeks with $2.8 million cash on hand; Hagan, $603,414. Libertarian candidate Christopher Cole apparently has raised and spent less than $3,000 in the Senate race.
Individuals accounted for $10 million, or 64.3 percent, of Dole’s contributions.
Individuals donated more than $5.5 million to Hagan, or 83.8 percent of her net receipts. Hagan has loaned her campaign $100,000.
But other players have been financially involved in the Dole-Hagan contest.
The Charlotte Observer reported last week the National Republican Senatorial Committee had put $2.8 million into anti-Hagan ads, while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had spent $6.6 million against Dole.
The National Rifle Association ($40,000) and Freedom’s Watch ($1.7 million) also had spent money against Hagan, while the League of Conservation Voters ($365,000) and Citizens for Strength and Security ($650,000) paid for anti-Dole messages.
Reports say some $17 million in television ads had run between Dole and Hagan as of last week. Various groups either for or against the candidates accounted for $10 million of the ads, while the candidates spent $7 million combined.