Romney's $23 million leads GOP pack

WASHINGTON — White House hopeful Mitt Romney has raised $23 million so far in his race for the Republican nomination for president, his campaign announced Monday. That's more money than other Republican candidates and just behind Democrat Hillary Clinton's reported war chest.

The first fund-raising quarter ended March 31, and while formal reports to the Federal Election Commission are not due until April 15, many presidential candidates released their numbers Monday in an effort to show their standing in the cash race.

Romney had already collected some $2 million from Utahns by late February, including more than $1 million at fund-raising events in Salt Lake City and St. George. Romney said then that GOP-dominated Utah was a "very important" source of campaign cash, among the top 10 states for raising money for his campaign.

But so far, the record for first-quarter presidential campaign fund raising belongs to Sen. Clinton, D-New York, who collected $26 million. The previous record was $8.9 million in 1995.

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has not yet re- released his fund- raising total.

A breakdown of what Romney raised in the first three months of the year was not made available, so it is not clear how much more of his cash came from Utah. The campaign said the former Massachusetts governor received money from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Romney, like the majority of Utahns, is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And he is using his work as head of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City as part of his problem-solver resume, touting why he should be the next president.

Romney only raised money for the primary election, the campaign reported. His total for the first quarter includes $20.63 million in primary contributions and a $2.35 million in loans from the candidate.

"Gov. Romney's fund-raising totals are indicative of the extraordinary success he has had reaching out and discussing important issues with the American people," said spokesman Kevin Madden.

The Rudy Giuliani Presidential Exploratory Committee reported $15 million for the primary election, with most of it raised in March. Giuliani, the front-runner for the GOP nomination according to many polls, collected more than $200,000 at a fund-raiser in Salt Lake City last Friday.

Giuliani campaign manager Mike DuHaime said in a statement: "We are thrilled by the response to Mayor Giuliani's optimistic vision, experienced leadership and proven record of results. Considering our late start, we are very pleased by the pace raised in March and see it as a positive indication of what's to come."