Merkley raises over $2 million in 3Q

U.S Senate candidate Jeff Merkley had his best fundraising quarter ever, he wrote in an email to his supporters Tuesday, claiming he had brought in more money than any Oregon Democratic candidate in a single quarter.

“We raised more than $2 million in the third quarter of this year, more than any other Democratic candidate in Oregon history. Of that, over $850,000 was raised online. Furthermore, more than 21,000 people have contributed to my campaign since it started over a year ago,” Merkley wrote.

Merkley outdid himself from last quarter, which had been his best fundraising quarter to date. During the second quarter, Merkley raised $1.42 million.

Merkley spokesman Matt Canter said the Merkley campaign was still compiling their data and would not have the final figure until next week. He said that $2 million raised was a conservative estimate, and that the number could go as high as $2.1 million.

U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith's campaign did not have any figures avaliable. Both campaigns are still compiling their reports, which are due Oct. 15.

The third quarter spanned from July 1 to September 30.

EARLIER on PolitickerOR.com: 2nd quarter fund raising at-a-glance