Kerry Leads Democrats in California Fund Raising

U.S. Senator John Kerry reports getting $1.5 million in donations from California residents during the first three months of the year. That´s barely $100,000 less than he picked up in his home state of Massachusetts. Kerry has been among the most aggressive of the nine Democratic presidential hopefuls in fund raising in donor-rich California and the efforts have paid off.

The dollars have helped push him to the front of the Democratic pack with a total of $7 million raised. Kerry also benefitted from transferring $3 million left in his Massachusetts Senate campaign account. He ended the quarter with $8.3 million cash on hand after expenditures.

Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich reports raising nearly $34,000 in California for a total of $173,000 raised.

Former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois reports $4,600 from California residents for a total of more than $72,000 for the quarter.

Kerry, Kucinich and Moseley Braun were the first candidates to file the detailed campaign reports due by the end of the day.