NH Freshman US Reps off to good fund-raising start

New Hampshire's two freshman US Representatives, both Democrats, raised a fair amount of campaign funds in the first three months of the year.

US Representative Paul Hodes, of Concord, reported raising $283,000 in the first three months of the year. After expenses he has 202,000 of remaining cash on hand.

No candidates have announced their intent to challenge Hodes in 2008.

In her first quarter, US Representative Carol Shea-Porter raised $114,000 and has $128,000 cash on hand.

In her entire campaign for Congress last year, Shea-Porter only spent $360,000. In that race Shea-Porter defeated two term Republican incumbent Jeb Bradley. Bradley said in January he wanted a rematch in 2008 but he spent most of this year on vacation with his family in Europe, where his wife’s family is from. His report shows he raised just $7,600 and has $63,500 of cash on hand.