(CNN) - Former Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has bested fellow Republican Gov. Sarah Palin in the fundraising race in the first half of the year, a very early indicator of potential strength in the 2012 GOP presidential race.
Romney's Free and Strong America PAC raised $1.6 million in the first six months of this year, according to a statement released by the political action committee Thursday. (updated Thursday: a Romney aide has provided CNN with a total number of donors, both itemized and unitemized, for the first half of the year.)
Romney's take is more than twice the roughly $730,000 raised in the same period by Palin's SarahPAC - but the Alaska governor's political action committee has pulled in an additional $200,000 since she announced July 3 that she would be leaving office by the end of the month. Romney and Palin each received funds from more than 11,000 contributors.
Romney's PAC had roughly $841,000 in cash on hand as of June 30. It said Thursday it had contributed about $36,000 to federal candidates and political action committees and nearly another $27,000 to state candidates.
Romney's PAC contributed $5000 each to South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor, Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt, and to Jim Tedisco, who mounted an unsuccessful bid in New York's 20th Congressional District during a special election earlier this year. The PAC also contributed $1000 each to a group of Republicans who were targeted in a Democratic ad campaign because of their opposition to the $787 stimulus bill passed soon after President Obama took office.
Romney's PAC contributed to four Republicans in Virginia running for state offices, as well as to Chris Christie who is running against New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine in 2010.
The New Hampshire affiliate of Romney's federal PAC also contributed $10,000 to the New Hampshire Republican Party, according to Thursday's statement.
(updated to reflect additional information from the Romney team)
From CNN Politics
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Ugh. Campaign fundraising is such a waste. A boatload of dollars going to things average Americans hate: Advertising and Spin. Annoying.
Gov. Palin wasn't even trying (unlike Romney) and has much broader grass-roots support.
The only question is which of these clowns ould losw the worst in 2012. A mormon will get killed once their wacky religion is described and Palin evangelicals won't vote for one and everyone already knows what a wack job Plain is. Please, give them money!
Oh Goodness! 11000 people donated compared to just 750 people! That's just not even a match! We don't want yet-another-white-rich-guy as our GOP contender! We need someone who can speak for the common folks! Palin is practical like how I would run my own household. She always do what she means – Not to waste taxpayer's money and she quit! Most politicians would sit as a lamb-duck politician just like Obama, Edwards to name a few! BTW, Palin is absolutely not rich like other politicans! She is just a common folks like me!
The thing is that with Republicans in office the rich got richer. In 2007, the richest 1 percent took home 22 percent of total national income. And Huckabee and Palin both have roots in extreme right-wing Christian groups. Whether Huckabee gets more money now or not, the rich want power and money and will support both Huckabee and Palin. Palin especially advances their causes.
Palin/Huckabee and the rest of the Republicans - they aren't worrying about buying groceries or losing their homes
We all have to pull together and think about America first . It will take all of us focusing on solutions not letting others talk us into fighting with each other.
Jefe July 16th, 2009 12:03 pm ET
Now that new jobless claims have hit a 6-month low, will Rushpublicans continue to claim that the stimulus is not working at all?
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Keep drinking the Kool-Aid that's being served Jefe. May jobless claims are down because after 6 months, you can't collect unemployment anymore? If you could reapply, that number would be thru the roof. Just saying...
Anybody but Palin. If she's part of any ticket, give 2012 to Obama
P.S. to John: her resignation as Governor is not effective until July 26, and it will be appropriate to still address her as "Governor" or "former Governor" after that.
Where is all this money coming from? Every "candidate" keeps getting millions in donations, but somehow the economy is in the crapper.
Mitt Romney is a phony. He has changed positions on Abortion rights at least 3 times, declaring while running for Gov of MA that he supported choice, despite the fact that he had earlier declared his support for pro-life position, then when he ran for president in 2008 he was suddenly pro-life again.
He made a complete disaster of the "Big Dig" here in MA and instituted a ridiculously complicated and unsuccessful health care program as well. HORRIBLE governor and I think he'd make an even worse president.
Wow, how impressive. I think it's really sad and pathetic at the lack of education and total disregard for the Constitution that Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney have, and that also goes for any citizen who would actually jump on board for either of them. Someone who would desert her office with more than 18 months left in an office the people of her state elected her to do? (Is actually considering running for President of the United States? SEROIUSLY?) Mitt Romney has about as much intelligence and vision as an oak tree, and is obviously raising most of his money from corporations (based on the facts in this article)
So...great values, people!
They are both losers!
Neither will ever be President so feel free to waste your money on donations.
Yeah, you both raise lots of money that can be wasted. Who are the idiots that are giving these two people money? Sheesh!
What a horrible choice for republicans... Robot Man / Crazy Woman!
Anyone but Obama at this point. I knew he would come into office and strip our military and National defenses.
Mitt is much stronger at being able to actually handle the role as president. Palin needs to take a role on 'Dancing With The Stars' or some other mindless task. Palin as president would make us a laughing stock, convincing the world that Americans really are dumber than they thought.
Keep Sarah Palin in the news. The more press she gets, the more we get to know about her. The more we know about her, the faster we'll get tired of her.
She WILL self-destruct.
angie in dallas 28 July 16th, 2009 12:00 pm ET
Palin has more of a white trash following. so i imagine she would have more donors sending in their wooden nickels or 10$ donation.
Romney only needs the money doesn't matter how many people donate.
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"white trash"???..........certainly sounds racist to me and to think this is coming from a member of the "progressive" party that preaches "tolerance". Maybe you really should practice what you preach............................. angie in dallas 28.
I can't imagine anyone with half a brain voting for Palin, let alone giving money to her campaign. If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny.
Any ticket Palin is on is a ticket not getting my vote. I don't care who else is on the ticket. Did we not learn one of Reagan's lessons: Surround yourself with competent people??
There are many differences between Romney and Palin.....the most important one is that Romney is NOT a quitter...........................
You accuse Obama supporters of drinking the koolaid? Hell , you Palin supporters are sucking on an empty bottle.
He's going to need a heck of a lot more than that if he intends to try and buy the nomination like he did the last time around.
@ GOP = Party of Tolerance
I have a question for you: What is your definition of "the elite"? By that do you mean the educated? If that's who you're are referring to . . . trust me, we don't underestimate the power of Palin to appeal to the uneducated bigots who who seem to be her base. In fact, I find that to be the scariest thing about her. Her ability to fan the flames of bigotry and fear in this country is a very scary thing indeed. I find it incredibly sad that you equate her base with the "common working person", however. Sad . . . and very far off the mark.