US:Democratic presidential candidates have raised 50 per cent more than their Republican counterparts in campaign contributions since the beginning of 2007, taking in $20 million more than Republicans during the past three months alone.
Republican frontrunner Rudy Giuliani has raised about $15 million since the beginning of April, more than any of his Republican rivals but unimpressive in comparison with Barack Obama's $32.5 million and Hillary Clinton's $27 million.
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney said he lent his campaign $6.5 million from his personal fortune to supplement the $14 million he raised during the past three months.
Arizona senator John McCain fired staff and imposed across- the-board pay cuts in his campaign after he raised just $11 million in the second quarter of this year, leaving him with just $2 million cash in hand.
Democrats have raised $144.3 million since the start of the year, compared to the Republicans' $101.7 million.
Campaign fundraising can reflect the level of popular enthusiasm for campaigns but it also offers an important sign of how viable candidates will be as the primary season enters a more competitive phase after September.
The Democrats' fundraising success represents a dramatic reversal of fortunes between the parties as Republicans have traditionally been able to outspend their Democratic rivals with ease.
Democrats raised more than Republicans in advance of last November's congressional elections and are already ahead in contributions for next year's Senate and House races.
Democratic financial support appears to be broader and deeper, with Mr Obama receiving contributions from 258,000 people, more than the combined total of contributors to Mr Giuliani, Mr Romney and Mr McCain.
The Democratic race has been stable in recent months, with Ms Clinton enjoying a clear lead in the polls, ahead of Mr Obama and former senator John Edwards. A CBS News poll this week found that 48 per cent of Democratic voters said they would support Ms Clinton in a three-way primary, which is double Mr Obama's 24 per cent and more than four times Mr Edwards's 11 per cent.
The Republican contest appears to be more uncertain, with Mr Giuliani remaining in the lead but former senator-turned-actor Fred Thompson, who has not formally entered the race, tying for second place with Mr McCain. Despite his relatively impressive fundraising performance, Mr Romney's poll numbers remain in single digits.
Almost two out of three Democrats said they were satisfied with their choice of candidates, compared with fewer than one in three Republicans. If the presidential election was held now, 55 per cent of voters said they would back a Democratic candidate, compared with just 28 per cent who would choose a Republican. At 40 per cent, Ms Clinton has the highest unfavourable rating of any potential president, although 45 per cent said they have a favourable impression of her.