Romney spent $42.3m of own money
McCain reports raising $49m
Before abandoning his bid to become president, Mitt Romney put in at least $42.3 million of his own money, a big chunk of the $97 million he spent on the campaign.
His campaign reported to the Federal Election Commission yesterday that he loaned his campaign $6.95 million during January to reach that total.
The former Massachusetts governor's total self-financing puts him ahead of Steve Forbes, the publisher who spent $38 million on his unsuccessful run for the GOP nomination in 1996, but shy of the $63.5 million that H. Ross Perot spent on his 1992 third-party presidential campaign.
Romney's total loan also equates to about $167,000 for each of the 253 delegates he won before suspending his campaign. By suspending his bid, Romney, who made an estimated $250 million as a venture capitalist, can keep raising money to possibly pay himself back.
Romney also reported raising $9.7 million last month, bringing his campaign total to $63.6 million.
That total is appreciably more than that raised by John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee whom Romney endorsed last week. McCain received contributions totaling about $49 million and borrowed nearly $4 million more by the end of last month.
During January, McCain raised $11.7 million and borrowed $950,000, his campaign reported to the FEC. After he emerged as the front-runner, he raised nearly twice as much in January than during the previous three months combined.
Mike Huckabee, who refuses to concede the nomination to McCain, reported raising nearly $4 million during January, but he spent nearly $5 million to stay competitive, eating up nearly all the cash he had saved up.
Ron Paul said he raised another $4.4 million during January, raising his total to nearly $33 million - far more than better-known contenders. He spent another $6.4 million last month, bringing that total to nearly $27 million.
The Republican campaign cash figures are far less than the leading Democrats' - another sign of the enthusiasm gap between the two parties that is also being reflected in voter turnout.
Barack Obama reported raising more than $36 million during January, the biggest single-month total during a competitive primary. The flood of campaign cash, most of it raised online, enabled him to air ads in the 22 states that voted on Super Tuesday and in the 10 contests since - all of which he has won.
For the entire campaign, Obama has raised more than $138 million, and his campaign told supporters yesterday that it is close to reaching a historic one million donors. "This unprecedented foundation of support has built a campaign that has shaken the status quo and proven that ordinary people can compete in a political process too often dominated by special interests," said the e-mail to donors, urging them to give more before the crucial March 4 primaries in Ohio and Texas.
Democratic rival Hillary Clinton reported that she raised about $13.9 million and loaned her campaign $5 million last month. She has raised nearly $121 million for the campaign as of Jan. 1.
Yesterday, McCain pressed his attack on Obama for backing away from accepting public financing for the general election - as both indicated a year ago they would do. Each could get about $85 million in public funds, but they would not be allowed to raise any other money. Such a step would clearly give the advantage to McCain, who dislikes fund-raising, and would hinder Obama.
In an opinion piece published yesterday in USA Today, Obama wrote that he wants to work toward a spending agreement with the Republican nominee. He laid out a series of conditions, including possibly limiting how much money McCain can spend for the general election while Democratic race continues.
"That's Washington doublespeak," McCain said in Columbus, Ohio. "We either keep our word or we don't keep our word. I think the American people would expect him to hold to that commitment, especially if we want to bring about change."
Obama's spokesman, Bill Burton, responded: "John McCain is in no place to question anyone on pledges when he abandoned the latest campaign finance reform efforts in order to run for the Republican nomination and went back on his commitment to take public financing for the primary election this year."
Material from the Associated Press was also used in this report. 