Gov. Mark Dayton is outpacing his GOP rivals and now has nearly twice as much cash on hand as all four Republican gubernatorial candidates put together, according to campaign-finance reports released Tuesday.
The pre-election reports also show that the DFL Party and its legislative committees are eclipsing Republican counterparts in the money battle, having raised three times as much.
But when it comes to outside interest groups, those that lean Republican are holding their own against Democratic groups, and both will be training much of their firepower on what promises to be a furious and high-dollar battle for control of the Minnesota House this fall.
While it's still early for outside groups to unleash their full might, the top 10 independent spending committees have amassed more than $3 million for the months ahead. Alliance for a Better Minnesota and its funding arms, a key factor for Dayton and Democrats, has banked $1.4 million in cash.
Meanwhile, business groups and the conservative Freedom Club have stashed away $1.2 million to help Republicans statewide, but with a particular focus on the Legislature, which now is controlled by Democrats.
"I think you are going to see the bulk of business money focused on the House," said Charlie Weaver, executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership. He is involved in several spending groups that work to elect what he calls "pro-business candidates."
DFL Party Chair Ken Martin said that robust party fundraising will help Democrats across the board.
"We are in an extremely strong position to help our candidates win elections up and down the ballot this fall," he said.