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Cash competition

The Republican National Committee raised a record $32.3 million from January through March, more than double the Democrats' total.

The RNC finished March with $26.2 million on hand, Chairman Ken Mehlman said yesterday. The money it collected in the first quarter tops its fundraising during the same period in 2001 and 2002, before the national party committees were banned from collecting corporate and unlimited donations. It also exceeds its fundraising in early 2003, the first year the parties were limited to contributions from individuals and political action committees.

The Democratic National Committee raised $13.8 million in the first quarter. That includes at least $1 million a week since former Vermont governor and presidential hopeful Howard Dean took over as chairman in mid-February.

The DNC views it as a strong start for the year, said spokeswoman Laura Gross.

"We know we're headed in the right direction," she said. "We're going to keep working hard."

Rather than stockpiling the money to spend when the fall 2006 elections near, the RNC is starting to tap it now for campaign efforts.

"One of my lessons from the 2004 election is that voter registration and grass-roots building needs to be year-round, permanent," Mr. Mehlman said in a phone interview with the Associated Press from Atlanta, where he was raising money. That means, he said, that where the GOP is likely to have competitive races in '06, the RNC is working with state parties to build grass-roots support and register voters "to make sure we have the grass roots we need to be successful next year."

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