New campaign-finance reports show that three candidates for Congress – Democrats Michael Brennan and Steve Meister and Republican Dean Scontras – are getting low on cash as the campaign enters its final days.

Of the three, Brennan was in the best financial shape. He reports having $27,912 in cash remaining on May 21, out of a total of $241,602 raised during the campaign.

Meister had $187 cash on hand, while his campaign had debts of $17,893. Almost all of that money was owed to the candidate himself, who has loaned dollars to his campaign.

Scontras had $7,244 in cash, plus debts of $66,509. Scontras has loaned $62,300 to his campaign, most of which has yet to be repaid.

The other five candidates – Republican Charlie Summers and Democrats Adam Cote, Mark Lawrence, Chellie Pingree and Ethan Strimling – must file their latest campaign-finance reports by midnight tonight.

These are the last reports that the candidates must file with the Federal Election Commission prior to the June 10 primaries. However, if any candidate receives a contribution of $1,000 or more in the campaign's waning days, he or she must report that money.

– Kevin Wack

A national campaign finance-reform advocacy group is seeking to calm the waters following a recent fund-raising flap between Democrats Ethan Strimling and Chellie Pingree.

The group, Public Campaign Action Fund, issued a press release today urging voters in Maine's 1st Congressional District to evaluate the candidates' positions on campaign-finance reform, rather than listening to the accusations flying back and forth between candidates over certain contributions. The group, which supports public financing of congressional elections, noted that all six Democratic candidates in the race have pledged to support federal legislation based on Maine's Clean Elections act.

The latest fund-raising reports in the 1st District congressional race had to be filed by midnight last night. I'll be sorting through them today and writing a story for tomorrow's newspaper, but first I wanted to post some of the key numbers.

In the Republican contest, Dean Scontras has raised more money than Charlie Summers, but he's also spent more, and Summers has more remaining.

With a midnight deadline looming, some initial fund-raising numbers are being released this afternoon in the 1st District congressional race.

Michael Brennan, who ranked fifth out of six Democratic candidates in fund-raising through Dec. 31, announced that he raised $59,102.16 between January and March. His campaign said it was its strongest three months of fund-raising to date.

"We are not going to buy this election with the most out-of-state donors or $2,300 contributions," Brennan campaign manager Peter Asen said in a press release, "but we are going to win it with the best ideas, the strongest grassroots support, and the most heart."

Dean Scontras, one of two Republicans in the race, announced that he raised $76,897.89 from 403 contributors between January and March.

"I'm humbled by the support my candidacy continues to receive from Mainers who are tired of politics as usual in Washington," Scontras said in a press release.

Look here for more on campaign fund-raising today and tomorrow...

– Kevin Wack

Who's leading the fund-raising battle between Republican congressional hopefuls Dean Scontras and Charlie Summers? It depends how you slice the numbers.

Scontras has raised more money than Summers, but Summers has more cash on hand, the latest Federal Election Commision reports show.

Between Oct. 1-Dec. 31, Scontras hauled in $56,319 – a bit more than Summers, who raised $53,455. For the entire campaign, Scontras has raised $157,761, versus $117,127 for Summers, according to the reports.

Dean Scontras, a former walk-on to the University of Maine football team, is using Super Bowl week to roll out a few gridiron-related endorsements.

Here's Dick MacPherson, an Old Town native and former New England Patriots coach: "Dean comes from a strong family and was raised with strong principles. .... He will make a worthy candidate and a Congressman that Maine can be proud of!"

And here's Jack Cosgrove, the current Black Bears coach, who was offensive coordinator when Scontras was a member of the team: "If Dean Scontras models leadership as a Congressman in the same manner he did as a wide receiver in our Black Bear football program, the state of Maine will score a touchdown."

– Kevin Wack

Here's how the six Democratic candidates currently stand in the money race. The totals shown are for the amount of cash each candidate had on hand, as of Dec. 31, 2007.

1) Chellie Pingree - $442,851
2) Ethan Strimling - $195,919
3) Adam Cote - $192,197
4) Mark Lawrence - $189,489
5) Michael Brennan - $82,339
6) Steve Meister - $39,639

Look for more on the latest campaign-finance reports in tomorrow's Press Herald.

– Kevin Wack

Chellie Pingree continues to rake in cash. Pingree, a North Haven Democrat, was the 1st Congressional District's fund-raising leader on Sept. 30, and she increased that lead in the last three months of the year.

Pingree raised $303,365 in the last three months of 2007, which brought her fund-raising total for the campaign to $777,534. She reports having $442,851 cash on hand.

Also filing with the Federal Election Commission last night were Democrat Ethan Strimling and Republican Charlie Summers.

Strimling raised $112,981 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, bringing his campaign total to $337,026. His campaign reports having $195,919 cash on hand.

Summers raised $53,455 in the last three months of the year, raising his total to $117,127. The Summers campaign reports having $70,972 in cash on hand.

More soon on where the eight 1st District hopefuls stand in the money race in comparison with each other.

– Kevin Wack

Two more congressional campaigns released information this afternoon about their fund-raising efforts.

Democrat Mark Lawrence raised $100,452 in the last three months of 2007, and had $189,489 in cash on hand at the end of the year, according to the report his campaign filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Republican Dean Scontras said in a press release that he has raked in "close to $160,000" during the campaign. Given what Scontras' previous campaign-finance reports say, this means that he raised somewhere around $55,000 in the last three months of 2007.

– Kevin Wack

Three of the Democratic 1st District congressional hopefuls have filed their end-of-the-year fund-raising reports with the Federal Election Commission.

Michael Brennan, the former state Senate majority leader from Portland, reports raising $41,560.92 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2007. He also had $82,239.33 in cash on hand at the end of the year.

Steve Meister, a Winthrop doctor, raised $40,451.37 in the last three months of 2007. He reports $39,639.19 in cash on hand.