AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine Citizens for Clean Elections says a preliminary analysis of the contributions to the campaigns for governor show that fund raising has already exceeded the 2010 campaign, and that there has been a significant increase in the percentage of contributions from out of state.
"We're seeing nearly five times the amount of out-of-state money pour into this race," says B.J. McCollister, a spokesman for the group. "That equals about 20 percent of the total funding for candidates - right around 4 or 5 percent in 2010."
McCollister says because of the state's weak reporting laws, it's not known how much of the money being spent by independent groups in the governor's race is from out-of -state sources - although he believes nearly all of it is coming from out-of-state contributors that are often undisclosed.