McDaniel raises more than $1 million

LITTLE ROCK — Attorney General Dustin McDaniel raised more than $1 million for his 2014 gubernatorial campaign during the last quarter and his campaign had more than $880,000 in the bank as of Sept. 30, he reported Monday.

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But a spokesman for a potential rival for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, former Lt. Gov. Bill Halter of North Little Rock, said Halter hopes that “this drain of one million dollars in campaign resources for an election two years from now does not result in Democratic legislative losses in three weeks.”

Republicans are trying to strip majority party control of the Legislature from Democrats for the first time in 138 years in the Nov. 6 election. The House comprises 53 Democrats and 46 Republicans. A majority is 51. The Senate is made up of 20 Democrats and 15 Republicans. A majority is 18.

A spokesman for McDaniel said 70 Democratic legislators hosted the first fundraiser for McDaniel’s campaign for governor, and McDaniel appreciates their support.

McDaniel spokesman Suzanne Delao added that McDaniel also filed his McDaniel Leadership PAC report on Monday, which demonstrates his strong support for Democratic legislators and legislative candidates. The report showed the political action committee raised $8,000 and contributed $59,000 to mostly legislative candidates last quarter, leaving $21,514.61 in the bank on Sept. 30.

McDaniel reported raising $913,499 and spending $138,525.44 for the 2014 primary, leaving him $774,973.56 in the bank for the primary as of Sept. 30.

He also reported raising $112,500 and spending nothing for the 2014 runoff, as of Sept. 30.

McDaniel of Little Rock, attorney general since 2007 and a former Jonesboro police officer, has said he expects he’ll have to spend $10 million to $12 million on a bid for governor in what would be the most expensive campaign for governor in the state’s history.

McDaniel said his campaign has received contributions from 883 individuals or businesses last quarter and more than 90 percent of all donations received are from Arkansas individuals or businesses.

“We are building a campaign that will make our state proud and will be strong enough to fight out the outside special interest groups that we know will try to influence this race.”

As to whether Halter is going to run for governor in 2014, Halter spokesman Bud Jackson said, “While Bill continues to receive encouragement for a campaign for governor he remains focused on the upcoming legislative elections.”

In 2006, Halter announced his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor against then-Attorney General Mike Beebe before deciding to run for lieutenant governor instead. In 2010, he lost his challenge to then-U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Little Rock.