Guv raises $5.2 million in third quarter

Gov. Bill Richardson raised $5.2 million for his presidential campaign during the fundraising quarter that ended Sunday – a drop from the $7 million he raised from April to June, but an amount that keeps him on the heels of John Edwards.

The Washington Post reported that Edwards was expected to raise about $7 million, but the campaign did not release a fundraising total on Sunday. Richardson’s was the only campaign in either party to release a fundraising total.

Richardson and Edwards were locked in a battle last week over who would raise $1 million in the final days of the fundraising quarter. Both campaigns said this morning they had reached the goal – but it took Edwards 10 days to do it while Richardson did it in seven. By late Sunday, Edwards’ Web site said he had raised $920,788 toward the goal, while Richardson’s said he had raised $990,238.

Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were expected to raise at least $17 million in the third quarter of the year. Obama’s campaign said late Sunday it had reached its goal of receiving more than 500,000 donations from more than 350,000 people throughout the campaign. Each raised about $60 million during the first six months of the year.

Edwards raised $23 million in the first six months of the year, so he would be at $30 million if his campaign’s estimate is correct.

Richardson’s total puts him at more than $18 million since he jumped into the presidential race in January – a respectable amount that further solidifies his fourth-place status in the race. As reported by the Associated Press, one of the questions now is whether Joe Biden and Chris Dodd raised enough to keep pace with Richardson and stay in the race.

Edwards opts for public financing

The dynamic of the money game is about to change. After failing for six months to keep pace with Obama and Clinton, Edwards announced on Thursday that he will accept public funds for his campaign.

The move means the first $250 of every contribution to Edwards will be matched, but he will also face strict spending limits and won’t be allowed to contribute his own money to the campaign. The move was discounted by some of the other campaigns as a desperate attempt to stay in the race, but Edwards characterized it as the right thing to do and challenged the others to do the same.

Richardson doesn’t plan to follow suit. Spokesman Tom Reynolds told the Santa Fe New Mexican that, “By taking public financing, you severely limit what you can spend between the time you win the primaries and the time you actually become the nominee in August. Republicans can attack, and we wouldn’t be able to respond.”

Where Richardson stands

There’s more lukewarm news for the Richardson campaign. A Newsweek poll of Iowa caucus goers released Saturday and conducted Wednesday and Thursday has Obama in the lead with 28 percent to Clinton’s 24 percent, Edwards’ 22 percent and Richardson’s 10 percent. Richardson’s Real Clear Politics average of recent polls in Iowa is 10.8 percent, so he’s still hovering around the double-digit mark.

Richardson starts the final quarter of the year in the same place he started the third quarter – solidly in fourth place and holding steady in the polls and fundraising. But, with about three months until the Iowa Caucuses, he’s going to have to gain rapidly from here on out to remain a player. Even the governor has acknowledged he has to place third or better in Iowa, and he’s not currently on pace to do that.

Update, 8:40 a.m.

New American Research Group polls have Richardson at 10 percent in Iowa, 8 percent in New Hampshire and 5 percent in South Carolina. In Iowa, Clinton is at 30 percent, Obama is at 24 percent and Edwards is at 19 percent in the new poll. In New Hampshire, Clinton is at 41 percent, Obama is at 22 percent and Edwards is at 10 percent. In South Carolina, Clinton is at 41 percent, Obama is at 30 percent and Edwards is at 7 percent.