Attorney General Leslie Rutledge collected nearly $195,000 in contributions in the last quarter for her 2022 gubernatorial campaign, while Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin raised nearly $139,000 in the same three-month period for his campaign for governor, according to their campaign finance reports filed Friday.
So far, Republicans Rutledge of Maumelle and Griffin of Little Rock are the two announced candidates for governor in 2022.
Other potential Republican candidates include President Trump's former press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Little Rock -- who is the daughter of former Gov. Mike Huckabee -- and state Sen. Jim Hendren of Sulphur Springs -- who is the nephew of term-limited GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson. No Democratic candidates have signaled their plan to run for governor in 2022 yet.
Rutledge said she raised more than $1 million in contributions in two quarters in her historic bid to become Arkansas' first woman governor.
"I continue to be humbled that amid a pandemic, tumultuous 2020 election cycle and the busy holiday season that so many would contribute their hard-earned money to advance our shared vision to Make Arkansas First," she said in a news release.
Griffin said he has raised more than $1.8 million in contributions for his campaign since March 3, 2020, and accumulated a campaign treasury totaling more than $1.7 million.
"I am humbled and honored by the historic, record-breaking outpouring of support for our campaign for governor, especially during such uncertain and challenging times," he said in a news release. "Arkansans want a bold decisive conservative with the experience to lead, and I will be ready on day one."
For the 2022 primary election, Rutledge reported raising $144,015 in contributions and spending $58,337 last quarter to increase her total contributions to $755,955 and her total expenses to $117,126, leaving a campaign treasury of about $638,828 on Dec. 31.
For the 2022 general election, she reported collecting $50,500 in contributions and spending nothing last quarter to boost her total contributions to $276,900 with no expenses, leaving $276,900 in her campaign treasury as of Dec. 31.
For the 2022 primary election, Griffin reported collecting $113,840 in contributions and spending $25,783 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31. That boosted his total contributions for that election to $1.26 million and his total expenses to $71,554, leaving $1.19 million in his campaign treasury as of Dec. 31.
For the 2022 general election, Griffin reported raising $25,135 in contributions and spending nothing last quarter to increase his total contributions for that election to $555,635 with no expenses, leaving $555,635 in his campaign treasury as of Dec. 31.
Griffin, a former aide to then-President George W. Bush, reported that Bush's former political strategist, Karl Rove of Austin, Texas, contributed $1,000 to him last quarter.
Meanwhile, state Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Conway, reported raising $7,850 and spending $5,567 last quarter for the primary election for his 2022 lieutenant governor campaign.
That boosted his total contributions to $29,425 and his total expenses to $6,940.13, leaving $22,484.87 in his campaign treasury on Dec. 31.
No other candidates have announced their bid for lieutenant governor in 2022 yet.
The filing period for the 2022 election will be from Feb. 22 through March 1, 2022, according to the secretary of state's office.