U.S. Rep. Edward Markey reported a hefty war chest of over $2.6 million at end of the second quarter but did not dole out much of it to fellow Democrats, according to the Federal Election Commission report.

Markey (D-Malden) raked in $248,431 in total contributions[img_assist|nid=70|title=Rep. Edward Markey (D-Malden)|desc=|link=none|url=undefined|align=right|width=120|height=116] for the quarter, including $117,010 from political action committees. Individuals donated $131,421 to Markey this quarter.

The lawmaker's $2,612,640 cash on hand shows his war chest has continued to grow since the last election cycle. At the end of the second quarter in 2006, Markey had $2,410,215 cash on hand. He did, however, pull in $273,065 in total contributions in the second quarter of that year, more than his haul this year.

Markey's war chest, which is the largest of any current Massachusetts congressmen (former Congressman Marty Meehan still has $4.8 million cash on hand), continues to fuel speculation about whether he will seek a Senate seat should one open up.

The chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, Markey received significant contributions from PACs in that field. Clear Channel's PAC donated $2,500 to Markey this quarter, and has given $5,000 to him so far this cycle. XO Communications, a telecommunications provider, gave Markey $5,000 this quarter through its PAC, and One Communications Corporation, another Internet telecommunications company, contributed $7,000 to Markey this year. Sprint Nextel Corporation's PAC also chipped in $2,000 as did Yahoo!'s PAC.

Markey also received individual contributions of $2,000 from Richard Koch, the president and CEO of RNK Communications, and Samuel Kline, the vice president of Granite Communications. Robert Hale Jr., the CEO of Granite Communications, also donated $1,000 to Markey.

Markey does face a challenge this year from Republican John Cunningham. Cunningham only reported $635 cash on hand at the end of the second quarter, though, and Markey only spent $79,741 on his operating expenditures for the second quarter.

While he didn't give much to other Democrats, Markey did donate $300 to the Waltham Democratic Town Committee and $5,000 to the Massachusetts Democratic Party. Unlike his several of fellow Massachusetts congressmen (see here here and here), Markey gave little to other Democratic congressional candidates. He did give $2,000 to Democrat Travis Childers' successful Mississippi campaign, but did not donate any money to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee this quarter. (He did, however, contribute $42,500 to the DCCC in the first quarter of this year.)