Dorgan raises about $1M in past 3 months

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BISMARCK (AP) — North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan raised almost $1 million during the past three months and now has $3.5 million for his re-election race next year, considerably more than the Democrat spent during his last campaign.

Dorgan’s Federal Election Commission disclosure report, which he released Wednesday, shows his campaign collected $940,276 during April, May and June. The campaign spent about $118,000 during the same period.

The balance in Dorgan’s campaign checkbook increased from $2.71 million on March 31 to $3.53 million at June’s end, the FEC filing shows.

When Dorgan last sought re-election in 2004, he spent $2.68 million against Mandan attorney Mike Liffrig, who had never run a statewide race. Dorgan got 68 percent of the vote.

This year, Dorgan is preparing for a possible challenge from Republican Gov. John Hoeven, who got 74 percent of the vote last year in winning his third term. Hoeven has said he intends to decide by early September whether he will run against Dorgan, who is seeking his fourth Senate term.

Hoeven declined to comment Wednesday on Dorgan’s fundraising. The governor’s own campaign committee reported having almost $70,000 left over from Hoeven’s re-election race, but Hoeven said Wednesday that he could not use the funds for a Senate campaign.

North Dakota Rep. Earl Pomeroy’s disclosure filing was not available Wednesday, said his spokeswoman, Sandra Salstrom. She said the incumbent Democrat reported having just over $1 million in his campaign treasury on June 30.

North Dakota’s other senator, Democrat Kent Conrad, is not up for re-election until 2012.

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