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Being the party in power is paying off for House Republicans and Senate Democrats, who are out front in the money chase as they aim to keep control in November's elections.

 by state regulators show the majority caucuses with an edge as the election year starts.

The Senate DFL's main campaign fund had almost $1.2 million in the bank compared to a Senate Republican balance about one-third of that. State senators haven't faced voters since 2012.

The House Republican campaign arm had a financial advantage, about $679,000 to roughly $570,000, over its Democratic counterpart.

The GOP took control of the House by routing Democrats in rural Minnesota and other swing districts in 2014. It proved instrumental in fundraising: On the day before the 2015 session began, House Republicans pulled in $124,000 in contributions and the new House speaker, Kurt Daudt, grabbed another $11,450.

Individual candidates were also required to file annual reports by Monday that document fundraising and spending. But candidates running in competitive districts are increasingly seeing their own activity swarmed by independent groups who can raise and spend money more freely.

Those outside groups will loom large, and a sampling of major past players in state elections are already stocking up.

The maze of entry points for political money makes it difficult to give a full campaign money picture. For example,  another big GOP player, the Minnesota Jobs Coalition,  reported a mere $14,000 on hand, but that group tends to run much of its operation through a separate account regulated by the IRS, which requires less disclosure.

Politics and Government News

Capitol View®

Brian Bakst

Author

As the fight for legislative control picks up, the bank balances foreshadow expensive campaign ahead

Parties in power retain edge in campaign money chase

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