Drastically different financial pictures in KY-2 as Guthrie holds large cash-on-hand advantage

A fundraising advantage in the 2nd Congressional District race has been touted by state Sen. Brett Guthrie's (R-Bowling Green) campaign for months, but numbers reported today show just how dramatic an edge Guthrie has over his Democratic opponent, state Sen. David Boswell (D-Owensboro).

Guthrie's campaign will enter the third fundraising quarter with over $661,000 in cash-on-hand, after raking in $363,554 in contributions in the second quarter.

"I continue to be humbled by the outpouring of support my campaign has received," Guthrie said in a statement released by the campaign. "I have said all along I intend to run a campaign the people of the Second District can be proud of, and we are on pace to do just that."

Boswell, on the other hand, reported closing the second quarter with just over $45,000 on hand - and over $18,000 in campaign debt.

According to the report on file with the FEC, Boswell brought in $124,588 in contributions during the second quarter.

Boswell's report, however, is dated to include contributions from May 1 to June 30. The second fundraising quarter technically also includes the month of April. An earlier pre-primary report filed by Boswell's camp included $61,034 in contributions for that month.

When contacted for clarification, the Boswell camp said a statement on the numbers would be released shortly.

The May 20 Democratic primary pitted Boswell against Daviess County Judge/Executive Reid Haire (D-Owensboro). Boswell won by seventeen points, but not after he reportedly spent nearly all his campaign cash.

Since that primary, his campaign has been working to rally contributions and holding some fundraising events, including a quarter-closing fundraiser in his home town of Owensboro.

Guthrie's campaign has now raised just over $765,000 since the candidate entered the race in January. Guthrie has benefitted from a number of fundraisers headlined by top national Republicans. Just before the end of the first quarter, Vice President Cheney attended a Lexington event for Guthrie. This quarter, U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) was in Prospect for the Republican candidate.

Following the retirement announcement of incumbent U.S. Rep Ron Lewis (R-Cecilia), the 2nd District is open after fourteen years under Republican control.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee initially included KY-2 on a list of preliminary 2008 targets for pick-up. Though Boswell was shown with a slight lead in the only public polling released on the race thus far, his campaign was left off a new DCCC list that included 31 districts targeted for extensive television ad buys.

Guthrie's campaign rejected the poll showing their candidate down as "unreliable" due to its release prior to any media buys. The Republican's camp subsequently commenced its own media campaign recently, launching a radio ad yesterday on gas prices.