Romney’s fundraising outpaces Obama’s in May

Source: Washington Post

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has surged ahead of President Obama in fundraising for the first time, posing a fresh challenge for the incumbent amid political and economic headwinds that seriously threaten his chances of reelection.

Romney and the Republican National Committee said Thursday that they raised a combined $76.8 million in May, which is nearly as much money as the presumed nominee brought in during the entire GOP primary season. Obama and the Democratic National Committee brought in $60 million, which was their best month so far but still lagged behind their opponent, campaign officials said.

Romney’s monthly haul serves to undercut Obama’s reputation as the nation’s preeminent political fundraiser and signals growing confidence among Republicans that the former Massachusetts governor has a strong chance of defeating Obama..

The fundraising arms race has become one of the central features of the 2012 campaign, as each candidate criss-crosses µthe country for donor events on an almost daily basis. The presidential contest alone now appears likely to spur well over $2 billion in spending by campaigns, parties and interest groups.

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