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Election fundraising: Romney leads Obama in March

by Dave Boyce

Donors in March contributed $163,100 to presidential campaigns from ZIP codes in the Almanac's circulation area. But unlike the donation totals reported in April that covered the previous year or so, this time the advantage went to the Republican candidate, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks money in politics.

Former Gov. Mitt Romney lapped his opponent, raising $107,600 in March to President Barack Obama's $51,000. Mr. Romney enjoyed a significant lead in each of the Almanac's four communities — Atherton, Menlo Park, Portola Valley and Woodside — according to OpenSecrets.org, the website of the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Obama is still ahead overall, raising $853,992 since the start of fundraising for this election cycle, while Mr. Romney took in $506,990.

For the month of March, Mr. Obama led with 73 donors versus Mr. Romney's 61, but Mr. Romney won easily on the size of the gifts. Thirty donors gave Mr. Romney the maximum $2,500 compared to five for Mr. Obama, the report showed.

Under the law, individuals are limited to donations of $2,500 per campaign for each election. Since there are two elections this year — the primary in June and the general in November — an individual's total gift can reach $5,000.

These numbers are those reported by presidential campaigns, not "super PACs," political action committees that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on behalf of a candidate so long as the money is spent independently; that is, not in coordination with the candidate.