Calif. Sen. Boxer ahead in campaign funds

LOS ANGELES, July 16 (UPI) -- Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., has a campaign war chest almost 12 times as large as that of her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina, campaign finance reports show.

Figures released by the two campaigns after a six-week reporting period ending June 30 show Boxer with nearly $12 million in campaign funds compared to slightly less than $1 million for Fiorina, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

Although Fiorina has been gaining on Boxer in polls, when it comes to money to mount a campaign, she is significantly handicapped, the newspaper said.

Boxer, who had no significant opposition in the Democratic primary, outpaced Fiorina in fundraising in the six-week period, adding almost $2.6 million to her campaign funds.

The personal wealth of Fiorina, former chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard, estimated at somewhere between $28 million and $122 million, was seen by Republicans as one her greatest assets in the race against Boxer.

But Fiorina has said she does not plan to self-finance her campaign, and she has not lent additional personal money to her campaign since the primary, the Times reported.

Fiorina's wealth may be a handicap in fundraising, analysts say, as potential donors are hesitant to contribute to candidates seen as capable of funding their own campaigns.