Gore war chest has slight edge despite heavy Bush fund-raising

June 20, 2000
Web posted at: 6:48 PM EDT (2248 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Al Gore has a slight edge in campaign cash over presumptive Republican nominee George W. Bush, even as the Texas governor's running total topped $90 million.

The vice president raised $587,000 during the month of May, leaving him with $8.2 million in the bank at the end of the month after expenses of $1.3 million, according to reports filed Tuesday with the Federal Elections Commission. Bush brought in nearly 10 times more -- about $6 million -- during the same period, but spent considerably more. His campaign was left with about $7.1 million after expenses.

The edge, however, is expected to have little significance for the November election: Both men will received more than $67 million in federal matching funds for the general election after being formally nominated at their national conventions in August.

Bush turned down all matching funds during the primaries and is not bound by federal spending limits. His campaign has broken all records for fund-raising, bringing in more than $90 million since his campaign began.

Bush had a massive fund-raising advantage over Gore at the end of the year, ending 1999 with more than $30 million in the bank. Gore, on the other hand, had only $5.7 million on hand on New Year's Eve.

But Bush had to spend more during the GOP primaries to fend off a challenge from Arizona Sen. John McCain. The Bush campaign has spent more than $82 million so far, aides said Tuesday, with the largest portion -- 27 percent -- going to media buys.

Bush's campaign touted its large number of small donors, with its 268,828 contributors donating an average of $240. It also named eight new "Pioneers" -- people who have raised $100,000 or more for the campaign.

The Gore campaign to date has raised about $37 million, and says its average donation is about $120.

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