Thompson reports $660K raised in Q1 for Senate bid

A campaign spokesman for U.S. Senate candidate Tommy Thompson said the former Wisconsin governor has raised roughly $660,000 in the first quarter of 2012.

That would put him just ahead of Republican rival Mark Neumann, the ex-congressman who reported first-quarter fundraising of $650,000.

Political newcomer Eric Hovde said Friday he raised almost $110,000 since he entered the race just over a month ago. Hovde’s campaign says the GOP businessman has $1.6 million cash on hand, but a spokesman didn’t immediately know how much of that came from Hovde himself.

Republican state Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald’s spokeswoman said he has $35,000 cash on hand.

U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin is the only Democrat running. She raised more than $2 million and has almost $2.8 million cash on hand.