Dean takes in $14m for quarter

DETROIT -- The campaign of presidential contender Howard Dean announced yesterday that it had raised $14 million so far in the fourth quarter, bringing his campaign's total estimated take for the year to $40 million.

The tally is expected to grow before the official close of the fourth quarter at midnight tomorrow. Dean has 1,379 house parties planned for today around the country, at which former vice president Al Gore, who endorsed Dean this month, will be heard via teleconference. Each house party host has pledged to raise at least $311 -- a dollar amount reflecting the number of days until the general election -- bringing in more than $400,000.

The estimated fourth quarter sum helps to solidify Dean's perceived lead in the bid for the Democratic nomination. Dean entered the fourth quarter as the Democratic fund-raising leader, having outstripped records with his third quarter take of $14.8 million, much of it in small donations collected via the Internet. He appears headed to emerge from this quarter a leader again, with the campaign of at least one chief rival, retired General Wesley K. Clark, saying yesterday that his fund-raising amount would be smaller than Dean's.

Another rival, Senator John F. Kerry, declined to release his fourth quarter results, but a spokesman vowed Dean would not keep the money long. "We're going to make him spend it all," said Michael Meehan of the Kerry campaign.

Also yesterday, Dean picked up the endorsement of Representative John Conyers of Michigan, the ranking minority member of the House Judiciary Committee and dean of the Black Congressional Caucus.

The campaign called the endorsement a surprise, which Dean announced at the end of a speech here calling for an increase in the federal minimum wage to $7 an hour, up from $5.15.

Dean's fourth quarter collection amount -- after a month of heavy fund-raising -- was a necessary infusion for a campaign that has been spending money at a rapid clip, particularly on television ads in Iowa, which holds the nation's first caucuses Jan. 19.

The campaign declined to specify how much cash it has on hand. As of October, the former Vermont governor had more than $12 million in the bank after spending well over half of the record-breaking $14.8 million he raised in the three months ending Sept. 30.

Matt Bennett, Clark's communications director, said the Clark campaign will raise "more than $10 million" in the fourth quarter. He said that unlike Dean, the Clark campaign is also due to receive federal matching funds of $3.7 million early next month, plus additional matching funds in February for the money it raised this month.

Dean opted out of the federal campaign finance system last month, a move that means he will not receive matching funds but will also not be limited by federal and state spending caps. Dean's campaign has not agreed to voluntarily abide by the caps.

Besides Kerry, other Democratic rivals declined yesterday to divulge their numbers, including Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri.

Meehan, the Kerry spokesman, said: "There are only three weeks until voters actually decide, and we'll have enough money to compete in the month of January and beyond. We'll feel comfortable with what we have."

Steve Murphy, campaign manager for Gephardt, said donations have picked up and the campaign will be "in the ballpark" of reaching its $20 million goal for the year. To achieve that, Gephardt would have to raise about $6.3 million in the fourth quarter, $2.5 million more than his campaign has collected during any of the previous three quarters.

In the fall, top campaign staffers took a pay cut to keep the campaign on budget, for staffing and advertising in early primary and caucus states. Murphy said the campaign has enough money to run full campaigns through the early contests on Feb. 7 in Michigan and Washington. Gephardt's campaign announced yesterday the launch of television advertising campaigns in all major markets of Michigan and the Tulsa market in Oklahoma, one of seven delegate-selection contests on Feb. 3, a week after the New Hampshire primary.

In a statement to supporters yesterday, Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi offered a new plea for more funds, saying: "Wes Clark and other candidates are waiting for us in South Carolina and Arizona and the five other states that come on February 3d. All their money together is aimed at stopping our campaign, even as we need to focus on Washington state and Michigan and the other races beyond -- and George Bush himself in the general election."

Patrick Healy, Brian Mooney, and Joanna Weiss of the Globe staff contributed to this report.