AUGUSTA — Supporters of Maine's same-sex marriage law have continued to collect far more campaign contributions than their opponents in a referendum that's being watched nationally.
No on 1/Protect Maine Equality said Friday in a report to the state that it has raised $4 million in its campaign to keep Maine's same-sex marriage law on the books.
That compares with the $2.5 million raised by Stand for Marriage Maine, which forced the people's veto vote through a petition drive.
Despite the fundraising advantage, No on 1 was taking nothing for granted, said campaign manager Jesse Connolly. "We know this is going to be a razor-thin election."
No on 1's report to the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices showed multiple pages of donations in the $50-$1,000 range, with exceptions from some individuals, including Donald Sussman of Portland at $300,000.
On the other side, the National Organization for Marriage was by far the biggest contributor to the Stand for Marriage Maine political action committee, with $1.1 million during the latest reporting period.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland gave another $152,600.
Throughout the campaign, the Princeton, N.J.-based National Organization for Marriage has donated a total of $1.5 million to the effort to repeal the law legalizing same-sex marriage. The diocese has given $550,000.
A campaign finance report released by the diocese Friday said the latest $152,600 was contributed Oct. 1-20 and came from its general treasury.
The treasury is made up of unrestricted bequests, interests and dividends, said Sue Bernard, a spokeswoman for the diocese. The money doesn't come from parish collection plates or the bishop's appeal, she said.
The contribution included $7,600 for in-kind services, chiefly two employees on leaves of absence to work on the campaign. An additional $11,700 came from individuals who earmarked contributions for the campaign.
In September, the church collected $86,000 from parishioners after a well-publicized appeal for collections at Masses.
Bernard couldn't say whether the church will provide more financial support before Election Day.
While Stand for Marriage Maine remained at a financial disadvantage, spokesman Scott Fish said it was no cause for alarm.
"Our hope is that this will close the gap. We are working hard to get our message out," said Fish, adding that an intense fundraising push will continue in the days ahead.
Political action committees had to file their latest campaign finance reports with the state by 11:59 p.m. Friday.
Earlier reports showed that No on 1 had raised $2.7 million, compared with $1.1 million for Stand for marriage Maine.
With its Nov. 3 referendum, Maine is seen as a testing ground for gay-marriage laws around the country. Six states recognize gay marriage either by legislative action or court order, while 30 states have constitutionally banned it.
Staff Writer Tux Turkel contributed to this report.
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