The candidates for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District seat readied their campaign coffers during the past three months for what is expected to be a costly and closely watched contest.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud raised about $150,000 in the first three months of the year, bringing his total receipts to more than $740,000 as the freshman Democrat prepares to defend the seat representing central and northern Maine.

His Republican challenger, Brian Hamel of Presque Isle, raised nearly as much as Michaud this reporting period, based on Federal Elections Commission records from Jan. 1 to March 31.

Hamel, who resigned as the president of the Loring Development Authority in March to run for the seat, raised $143,300 during the period, spending only about $6,000 of his total so far.

Hamel’s fund-raising efforts continued Friday evening in Bangor with a reception at a private home, where U.S. Sen. Susan Collins also was on hand to greet his campaign supporters and extol the candidate’s credentials.

Michaud, most of whose money has come from political action committees, does enjoy a huge cash advantage over Hamel, with about three times as much cash on hand, $406,000, at the end of the period. So, far, Michaud has spent about $353,000 at this early stage in the campaign.

Hamel, who raised the vast majority of his money in March – from donors in all 16 counties, he notes – said his fund-raising efforts put him well on the way to his goal of $1.5 million to reclaim the seat for the GOP.

“There were some who didn’t think I would have the ability as a newcomer to the political process to raise this kind of money,” said Hamel, whose job creation experience at Loring has become the centerpiece of his campaign. “I think those people respect this result.”

Michaud’s 2002 win over Republican Kevin Raye of Perry continued the Democratic Party’s recent dominance in the district, which last elected a Republican to the seat in 1992, the last time Olympia Snowe – now Maine’s senior senator – defended her seat.

Michaud has not yet focused on his re-election, something he is expected to do as Labor Day approaches, according to his press secretary Monica Castellanos.

Until then, she said, Michaud will concentrate on his duties in Washington, where his recent work on the transportation committee helped secure $45 million for transportation projects in the 2nd Congressional District, including $16 million for the replacement of the Waldo-Hancock Bridge.

“It’s not going to be just about the money,” Castellanos predicted. “It’s going to be more about our record.”

Michaud spent about $1.2 million to win the open seat in 2002, first besting six primary rivals.

Analysts say Hamel, who will not face a primary challenger, can focus his efforts more easily on unseating Michaud, who is vulnerable, many GOP leaders think, because of his relatively short tenure in Washington.