Romney, Giuliani report ’08 fundraising

updated 8:46 p.m. ET April 2, 2007

BOSTON - Republican Mitt Romney reported Monday he had raised $23 million for his presidential campaign during the first three months of the year, shaking up the GOP field. Sen. John McCain of Arizona lagged with $12.5 million raised.

McCain, at one point considered the Republican to beat, acknowledged he had “hoped to do better” in the first quarter of the year, although his campaign manager, Terry Nelson, said in a statement: “Fundraising in the first quarter is no more important than fundraising throughout the entire primary election campaign.”

Meanwhile, the current leader in Republican presidential surveys, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, said his donations totaled $15 million — including more than $10 million raised during March alone.

Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, a conservative darling but longshot GOP candidate, lagged far behind, reporting receipts of less than $2 million, including a $575,000 transfer from his Senate campaign account.

On their own, the Romney, Giuliani and McCain totals blew away past party presidential fundraising standards, but Romney’s figure put the former Massachusetts governor in competition with Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic front-runner. The New York senator on Sunday reported raising $26 million between Jan. 1 and March 31.

Clinton refused to reveal how much of that was for a potential general election campaign — raising the prospect that she and Romney may have raised virtually the same for their respective primary races.

All of the money the former Massachusetts governor raised was for the GOP primary.

NBC VIDEO Russert analysis April 2: NBC's Tim Russert talks with TODAY anchor Matt Lauer about the money race. Today show

“Facing opponents in an extremely competitive fundraising field who enjoy universal name identification and the clear advantage of existing networks of contributors, Governor Romney’s fundraising totals are indicative of the extraordinary success the campaign has had at building an organization and stirring excitement among grassroots activists responding to his message,” said Romney spokesman Kevin Madden.

Romney was a venture capitalist whose only public service experience was running the 2002 Winter Olympics before he was elected to a single term as governor later that year.

Giuliani, who conversely had moved from politics to private business in recent years, said he has raised nearly $17 million since he formed his presidential exploratory committee in November. He also had $11 million cash on hand as of Saturday, the end of the first quarter.

Guiliani camp pleased
In a statement, Mike DuHaime, Giuliani’s campaign manager, said the campaign was thrilled with the total, despite what he called a “late start” to fundraising. The ex-mayor held his first major fundraiser in New York in December. Other top rivals didn’t do so until January or later.

FREE VIDEO Romney’s big plans for ‘08 April 2: Fmr. governor Mitt Romney has raised $23 million for his presidential campaign. “Hardball” host Chris Matthews talks to Romney’s press secretary Kevin Madden. Hardball

McCain’s campaign released its fundraising totals while the senator was on a fact-finding mission in Iraq.

McCain tried to lower expectation last week, saying he didn’t like to raise money, had gotten off to a late start and was “going to pay a price for it.”

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