LAS VEGAS -- Republican Mitt Romney raised more money in Nevada last year than any other presidential candidate but President Barack Obama posted the state's strongest fundraising in the final quarter of 2011.
Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, raised $372,850 in the state while Obama, a Democrat, pulled in $351,897, website OpenSecrets.org reported today. But Obama collected $226,347 in contributions from October through December, while Romney managed only $117,600.
Those figures don't include contributions to independent super political action committees that support or oppose candidates.
Romney's haul included $351,550 from the Las Vegas metro area and $15,550 from the Reno metro area. Obama received $259,464 from Southern Nevadans and $67,589 from the Reno area.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is also seeking the Republican nomination, raised $141,825 in Nevada in 2011, including $119,025 from the Las Vegas area and $15,750 from Reno. Fellow Republican Rick Santorum was far behind, raising only $8,750 statewide, including $7,500 from Reno and $1,250 from Las Vegas.
Republican candidate Ron Paul also raised $105,512 but that was only through September. The website, which is operated by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, hadn't yet posted Paul's campaign contributions for the final quarter of 2011.
The website also reported that Nevadans gave $1,514,132 to all presidential candidates last year, ranking the state 25th in contributions. But that figure also didn't include donations to super PACs, including the millions of dollars Venetian owner Sheldon Adelson gave to a committee that supports Gingrich.
