Challengers Need $590,000 a Day to Match Obama Fundraising

Barack Obama raised $59 million for his presidential campaign during the first half of 2007. To match that, prospective Republican challengers to his re-election would need to take in roughly $590,000 a day until June 30 if they entered the race today.

The Republican field began to emerge yesterday when former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty said he was setting up an exploratory committee to raise money for a possible candidacy. With some experts predicting that Obama could become the first billion-dollar candidate, every day that other potential contenders wait to follow suit will make it that much harder to match the president’s coffers.