FEC Filings Due Monday

The clock is ticking for campaign fundraisers: Monday at midnight marks the close of financial reporting for the second quarter.

The reporting period, which spanned from April 1, 2008 to June 30, 2008, will be a marker of which candidates have added to their war chest, which candidates have enough money to maintain their run and which candidates may be falling behind in the money game.

The reports will help bring to light two of the state's most hotly contested races, the U.S. Senate race and the 5th Congressional District race.

In the U.S. Senate race, Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton) has already amassed a huge war chest; last quarter he reported $4,731,406 in total contributions and had $4,882,436 cash-on-hand.

Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) will need money to compete with those numbers. He emerged victorious from the May 20 primary after a hotly contested battle with Steve Novick, but the race took a toll financially. At the end of last quarter, Merkley reported $1,609,848 in contributions and only $151,657 cash-on-hand.

In the 5th Congressional District, state Sen. Kurt Schraeder (D-Canby) hopes to emerge victorious after a round of Republican in-fighting. He will be looking to add to the $85,483 cash-on-hand he reported last quarter. On the other side of the ticket, Republican candidate Mike Erickson (R-Lake Oswego) reported $85,847 cash-on-hand, while also reporting $2,158,720 in campaign debt. After emerging bruised, but victorious from the primary, it will be interesting to see how Republicans rally around their controversial candidate.

Watch PolitickerOR.com for continuing coverage of campaign fundraising.