Campaign finance reports from Alaska’s U.S. Senate race show Republican candidate Dan Sullivan is increasing his financial lead over GOP rivals Mead Treadwell and Joe Miller. Lt. Gov. Treadwell raised just over $160,000 in the second quarter of the year. That puts him slightly ahead Miller, who raised $130,000. Meanwhile, Sullivan raised $1.2 million for the quarter, almost as much as the incumbent senator, Democrat Mark Begich. Unlike the other candidates, Treadwell has loaned his own money to the campaign, and he reports debts of $250,000. Treadwell says in a press release he’s pleased that 60% of his money comes from Alaska. Ninty percent of Sullivan’s contributions have been from out of state. Sullivan’s campaign, though, says he has raised more money within Alaska than his primary opponents. In fact, the nearly $200,000 he raised from Alaskans over the past three months is more than the entire second-quarter haul of either Treadwell or Miller.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her atlruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Lizhere.