With little more than three weeks until Election Day, Francine Busby has more money than her opponent Rep. Brian Bilbray, according to the latest figures turned into the Federal Elections Commission this weekend.
As of Sept. 30, Busby reported having roughly $325,000 while Bilbray had nearly $195,000 on hand.
While the news may be good for Busby, it may also be a bit misleading. Bilbray actually raised and spent more money than his opponent during the three months covered in the report. She just has more on hand at the moment.
Bilbray raised approximately $350,000, spending more than $260,000 on his campaign. Busby raised nearly $279,000, spending only $142,000.
Those totals put Busby within striking distance of her fundraising goal of $350,000 – set earlier this year – while the Bilbray campaign has fallen well short its $1 million target.
UPDATE: Finally, though Busby has more cash on hand, that’s not the only test of financial muscle. Friends count, too. The Republican National Campaign Committee has spent more than $160,000 in recent months on campaign mailers and polling opposing Busby and more than $40,000 promoting Bilbray. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has yet to fund similar activities, financial reports show.