Hegseth campaign raises $160,000 in first month

Republican Pete Hegseth's U.S. Senate campaign says Hegseth raised $160,000 in the first three months of the year. The campaign said it ended the quarter with $130,000 cash-on-hand. The campaign says the fundraising totals beat expectations and notes that Hegseth had only been in the campaign for one of the quarter's three months.

"Our fundraising success is a sign that voters are ready for new leadership," Hegseth said in a statement. "I'm honored and humbled that -- in this economy -- so many Minnesotans and Americans are willing to donate their hard-earned dollars to stand with me."

Former state Rep. Dan Severson and current state Rep. Kurt Bills are also seeking the GOP endorsement to take on DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar this fall. Bills and Severson have not released their fundraising totals yet. The deadline is Sunday April, 15.

Bills got into the race last month. According to Federal Election Commission records, Severson raised just under $90,000 last year. He entered the race in May, 2011.

Klobuchar has not yet reported her 1st quarter fundraising numbers. FEC records say Klobuchar ended the year with more than $4.6 million in campaign cash on-hand.

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