Candidates pour millions into ad blitz

It may be the dog days of summer, but two of the wealthy candidates for governor are dipping deeply into their family treasuries to bankroll television advertising blitzes they hope will sway voters.

Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey is the latest to join the ranks of self-funded millionaires seeking the governor's office, dumping $2 million into her campaign account last month.

Christopher F. Gabrieli, one of three Democrats running, upped his total contributions to his campaign by $1.7 million, for a total of about $5.4 million in less than four months.

Gabrieli, a venture capitalist, has spent an average of about $41,000 a day of his own money since writing his first check in mid-March. Six-and-a-half weeks before the primary, he has already poured more money into this campaign than the $4.9 million he contributed to his unsuccessful campaign for lieutenant governor in 2002 and the $5.1 million he used to bankroll his failed congressional run in 1998.

Gabrieli, Healey, and Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly are all waging expensive television advertising campaigns, all costing in the range of $400,000 to $500,000 per week. Reilly, who has raised more than $4 million from individual contributors, has not contributed any of his own money to his campaign.

Deval L. Patrick, who recent polls suggest is leading the Democratic field, has been focusing on building an election-day organization and has yet to air television ads. The campaign is expected to join the advertising fray this month. Patrick has thus far contributed $348,000 of his own cash to his campaign.

Healey's report, filed electronically yesterday with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance, shows she made a $2 million donation on July 17, the day her ads began to air on broadcast and cable television in the state's biggest markets, Boston and Springfield.

The report lists expenditures of more than $1.1 million for wire transfers, which typically buy air time. Healey, whose husband, Sean M., has amassed a large fortune as chief executive of an asset-management firm, is unopposed for the Republican nomination. Her campaign has raised well over $2 million from individuals since last year and had $1.4 million in her campaign account on July 31.

Gabrieli's report indicates that he took in $1.78 million during the last half of July, but that only $17,575 was in itemized contributions from individuals. The report lists four expenditures totaling more than $1.2 million for wire transfers. He started August with $527,000 in his account.

Bank reports, which are due today, had not yet been filed electronically by late yesterday for the campaigns of Reilly, Patrick, and independent candidate Christy Mihos, the other wealthy self-funded candidate. Through mid-July, Mihos had contributed more than $1 million to his own campaign, reports show.