First District campaign finance update (updated again)

(Note: I just realized I'd not updated this since the first few reports came out. Here's a final update, likely to be the last we'll get before June 8 because of the reporting "dark period.")

Financial support in the race for S.C.'s First Congressional District seems to have settled on two candidates since April, though there has been some interesting movement in the middle of the pack, according to the latest campaign finance reports.

State Rep. Tim Scott and Charleston County Councilman Paul Thurmond each raised another $100,000 between April 1 and May 19, the time period covered by the newest reports. 

Scott had a slight fundraising lead over Thurmond during that period, which when coupled with the substantial amount of money Scott still had saved when the period began, left him with far and away the most money to spend heading into the June 8 election. Here's the details:

• Scott had $188,124 remaining out of $363,407 raised in contributions. His campaign has been bolstered with $118,081 in new contributions since April 1.
• Paul Thurmond has $112,904 in cash on hand, out of his total $302,952 in contributions. He received $97,927 in new contributions during this filing period.
• Stovall Witte had $58,509 remaining for the last three weeks of the campaign. He's raised a total of $106,187 in contributions (plus received $7,400 from PACs and $20,000 from himself), including $16,175 since his last report.  
• Carroll Campbell III had $12,833 remaining out of a total $228,935 raised in contributions. He received $13,385 during the most recent filing period.
• Clark Parker had $12,440 left in his account, out of his total $115,277 in contributions and $123,900 in self-financing. He's raised a sizable $47,035 since his last report.
• Larry Kobrovsky had $9,043 in cash on hand out of a total $32,606 in contributions and substantial self-financing of $69,933. This includes $10,306 in new contributions since April.
• Mark Lutz has $5,918 remaining. He has raised $15,366 in contributions (plus $10,000 from himself), including $7,530 since April 1.
• Both Ken Glasson and Katherine Jenerette are pretty late on their reports again (their last reports showed them having spent most of their $5,000 apiece), as is Democrat Robert Burton.

The reports show the Campbell campaign in a precarious position financially. They've spent the majority of the more than $200,000 they raised since their very early entry into the race, and placed a distant fifth in fundraising during this most recent period. He told me Friday that he's doing a substantial amount of door-to-door campaigning right now, which will be vital for him. 

Other interesting movement: Witte and Parker have both broken the $100,000 barrier in contributions now. Parker did an far better job of raising money in the last period, drawing nearly $50,000 to be the third-biggest fundraiser in April and May (behind Scott and Thurmond), but Witte has done a far better job of hanging on to it, with his nearly $60,000 remaining putting him in third with late-game firepower. 

Finally, it's interesting that Tea Party enthusiasm doesn't seem to have translated into financial support. All four "Tea Party" style candidates - Kobrovsky, Lutz and likely Glasson and Jenerette, too, barring major surprises - remain firmly in the bottom four spots on the three markers of contributions in the last period, contributions overall and cash remaining. (I'd actually been curious, for example, if the Myrtle Beach Tea Party endorsement of Kobrovsky would give him a boost, but it came May 18, the day before the filing period ends, so it's tough to gauge.) However, the grassroots nature of the Tea Party movement could mean that the votes show up without the cash.

If the financial reports show anything, however, it's that Thurmond and Scott have pretty legitimate claims on the two runoff spots, without a clear contender in third place. Campbell's in third in total contributions, but has little left to spend and is having a tough time raising more. Witte's third in remaining cash, but while his overall fundraising is substantial, it seems to have slowed dramatically. And Parker did seem to be find some late-game financial traction, but has less than Campbell left to spend.

In the previous set of reports, which went through the end of March, the loan Democrat to file a report, Robert Burton, had $55,000 remaining out of a $66,000 loan to himself and $10,000 in contributions.

The reports are available at the Federal Election Commission.

• Scott had $188,124 remaining out of $363,407 raised in contributions. His campaign has been bolstered with $118,081 in new contributions since April 1.
• Paul Thurmond has $112,904 in cash on hand, out of his total $302,952 in contributions. He received $97,927 in new contributions during this filing period.
• Stovall Witte had $58,509 remaining for the last three weeks of the campaign. He's raised a total of $106,187 in contributions (plus received $7,400 from PACs and $20,000 from himself), including $16,175 since his last report.  
• Carroll Campbell III had $12,833 remaining out of a total $228,935 raised in contributions. He received $13,385 during the most recent filing period.
• Clark Parker had $12,440 left in his account, out of his total $115,277 in contributions and $123,900 in self-financing. He's raised a sizable $47,035 since his last report.
• Larry Kobrovsky had $9,043 in cash on hand out of a total $32,606 in contributions and substantial self-financing of $69,933. This includes $10,306 in new contributions since April.
• Mark Lutz has $5,918 remaining. He has raised $15,366 in contributions (plus $10,000 from himself), including $7,530 since April 1.
• Both Ken Glasson and Katherine Jenerette are pretty late on their reports again (their last reports showed them having spent most of their $5,000 apiece), as is Democrat Robert Burton.

The reports show the Campbell campaign in a precarious position financially. They've spent the majority of the more than $200,000 they raised since their very early entry into the race, and placed a distant fifth in fundraising during this most recent period. He told me Friday that he's doing a substantial amount of door-to-door campaigning right now, which will be vital for him. 

Other interesting movement: Witte and Parker have both broken the $100,000 barrier in contributions now. Parker did an far better job of raising money in the last period, drawing nearly $50,000 to be the third-biggest fundraiser in April and May (behind Scott and Thurmond), but Witte has done a far better job of hanging on to it, with his nearly $60,000 remaining putting him in third with late-game firepower. 

Finally, it's interesting that Tea Party enthusiasm doesn't seem to have translated into financial support. All four "Tea Party" style candidates - Kobrovsky, Lutz and likely Glasson and Jenerette, too, barring major surprises - remain firmly in the bottom four spots on the three markers of contributions in the last period, contributions overall and cash remaining. (I'd actually been curious, for example, if the Myrtle Beach Tea Party endorsement of Kobrovsky would give him a boost, but it came May 18, the day before the filing period ends, so it's tough to gauge.) However, the grassroots nature of the Tea Party movement could mean that the votes show up without the cash.

If the financial reports show anything, however, it's that Thurmond and Scott have pretty legitimate claims on the two runoff spots, without a clear contender in third place. Campbell's in third in total contributions, but has little left to spend and is having a tough time raising more. Witte's third in remaining cash, but while his overall fundraising is substantial, it seems to have slowed dramatically. And Parker did seem to be find some late-game financial traction, but has less than Campbell left to spend.

In the previous set of reports, which went through the end of March, the loan Democrat to file a report, Robert Burton, had $55,000 remaining out of a $66,000 loan to himself and $10,000 in contributions.

The reports are available at the Federal Election Commission.