Bennett's campaign funds top $3.6M

SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, may have lost his bid for a fourth term, but he's the big winner in the race for campaign contributions.

Bennett raised more than $3.6 million for his campaign. That's more than four times as much as Mike Lee, who won the GOP nomination for Bennett's seat by beating Tim Bridgewater in the party's June primary after the pair defeated Bennett a month earlier, at the party's state convention.

Obviously, money isn't everything in an election year when incumbents are especially vulnerable nationwide.

"It's not just money. It's also message," said Lee's deputy campaign manager, Ryan McCoy. "Money is important to be able to get the message out. But if the message isn't in tune with voter sentiment, even with a lot of money, the desired outcome isn't always achieved."

Bennett should have about $400,000 left once his remaining bills are paid, according to his latest filing Thursday with the Federal Elections Commission.

That money has to be refunded to contributors, but just who will get their money back is still being worked out, said Bennett's campaign chairman, Greg Hopkins. Among Bennett's contributors is his own political action committee, Snow PAC, which gave $10,000 to the campaign in May.

Lee reported raising more than $837,000 through the end of June, with more than half of his cash coming in since the beginning of that month.

He has spent plenty, too.

His filing with the FEC shows outstanding debts of nearly $203,000, an amount that includes $125,000 he loaned his campaign just before the June primary. However, he had only about $82,600 in cash available.

McCoy said the campaign is already collecting additional contributions and will have no trouble balancing the books. "We're confident the money will continue to come in as we continue to work hard," he said.

He said the late surge of cash that came in just before the primary was reflected in the outcome of the election. Although polls showed Lee trailing just before Election Day, he beat Bridgewater by some 4,000 votes.

"It shows the ability we have, even as an insurgent campaign, to raise the money we need to get our message out," McCoy said.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, may not be up for re-election until 2012, but he already has been gearing up for a similar challenge from within his party, raising more than $1.7 million to date, including more than $264,000 in just the past three months.