The Money Race

Clarion Ledger - Congressional race spending mounting - Republican and former Tupelo Mayor Glenn McCullough Jr. holds the fundraising lead. McCullough raised nearly $470,000 from Jan. 1 to March 12, according to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission. He spent about half of his campaign cash to pay OnMessage Inc., a GOP political consulting firm in Alexandria, Va., for advertising and other campaign services. The firm also has provided campaign commercials for Mississippi's Sen. Thad Cochran and former Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, both Republicans. McCullough's campaign also spent $3,500 to survey likely Republican runoff voters in his race against Southaven Mayor Greg Davis. The runoff was scheduled because none of the 1st District candidates won at least 51 percent of the vote in Mississippi's March 11 primary. McCullough campaign manager Brad Davis said the survey, conducted March 12-13, showed McCullough leading Greg Davis 45 percent to 38 percent.

But earlier polls conducted by the Davis campaign showed the Southaven mayor with a lead, said campaign spokesman Ted Prill. He would not discuss results of a more recent poll conducted by the campaign. "Let's just say it's going to be a very competitive race," Prill said. Greg Davis' campaign raised nearly $390,000 in the period ending March 12. Since then, his campaign has been given $8,000 from Lott's campaign. Under federal law, Lott is required to donate his leftover campaign funds to candidates or charities. Davis also has loaned his campaign $30,000. The campaign spent more than $135,000 to broadcast television ads.

Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers raised nearly $206,000, but about $100,000 of that was a personal loan to his campaign. Childers' Democratic rival, state Rep. Steve Holland of Plantersville, raised $158,322 but spent more than that, leaving his campaign more than $90,000 in debt on March 12.

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ClarionLedger.com - Jere Nash Blog - Congressional Campaign Finance Update - Republican candidates in the runoffs for the First and Third Congressional District slots have filed their pre-runoff reports with the FEC (which covered financial activity through March 12) and have since filed 48-hour reports to disclose major contributions received since March 12. If we add all of the 48-hour contributions disclosed by the candidates to the cash-on-hand balances they disclosed on their March 12 pre-primary report, we get a pretty good idea of how much money the candidates have to spend in this runoff election. Here's how the money stacks up:

Greg Davis -- $146,562.99

Glenn McCullough -- $122,434.01

Gregg Harper -- $131,861.25

Charlie Ross -- $186,612.20

By and large, the candidates are relatively evenly matched in the money game. Ross is ahead in his race because he contributed $55,000 of his own money to the cause. And the Trent Lott endorsement has apparently helped Greg Davis raise some extra money.