Michaud outraises opponent in 2nd District

U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, the Democratic incumbent in the 2nd District congressional race, continued to outraise his opponent in campaign funds in the first quarter of 2008.

Michaud’s net contributions were slightly more than $120,000 between Jan. 1 and March 31. His total contributions for the current election cycle are listed at nearly $470,000, with almost $310,000 cash on hand.

His expenditures for the first quarter were about $43,200, and totaled $203,000 for the election cycle.

The campaign of Michaud’s Republican challenger, John Frary of Farmington, said in a press release Tuesday that Frary had raised $50,000 during the first quarter.

During the last quarter of 2007, Michaud raised about $60,000 more in campaign funds than did Frary.

Midnight Tuesday was the deadline to file first-quarter campaign fundraising figures with the Federal Election Commission in Washington.

Both candidates said they had filed their paperwork by the deadline, but the information hadn’t been updated on the FEC Web site. Michaud’s staff sent a copy of his filings to news media on request. Frary’s campaign provided a press release that said in his first-ever FEC filing, which covered the first quarter, he had raised about $50,000 and had more than $14,000 cash on hand.

Since no other Democrats or Republicans have filed to run for Michaud’s 2nd District seat, there is no competition in the June 10 primary election.

Frary is a retired history professor and an editor of the Encyclopedia of Military History. He has written columns for the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel newspapers and describes himself as a philanthropist, animal lover, conservationist and a life member of the National Rifle Association.

Michaud was elected to Congress in 2002 and serves on the Veterans Affairs Committee and is the ranking member on the benefits subcommittee. He also serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Committee on Small Business, where he sits on both the subcommittee on tax, finance, and exports and the rural enterprises, agriculture and technology subcommittee.

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