How is fundraising going in the lieutenant governor's race?

Campaign finance reports from both Democratic nominee Walter Dalton and Republican rival Robert Pittenger are in for the second quarter.

Here's a breakdown of the numbers:

Fundraising: Since the beginning of their campaigns, Pittenger has raised $1.9 million; Dalton, $1.5 million. But take out the $765,000 Pittenger has given his own campaign, and he only raised $1.2 million from others.

Cash on Hand: At the end of the second quarter, Pittenger had $316,000, while Dalton had $177,000. Pittenger has nearly double the money, but neither amount is all that impressive given how much TV ads are going to cost in November.

Spending: Pittenger spent $450,216 in the second quarter, while Dalton spent $637,602. Still, Dalton had more formidable opponents than Pittenger did, so this doesn't prove much. Both will need to keep their expenses down to afford TV ads.

Dalton is part of a powerful Senate clique led by Senate leader Marc Basnight, while Pittenger is sometimes forgotten by his own party's leaders. Still, neither is exactly a household name or has the kind of larger-than-life personality that will draw attention.

In a low-interest race like the lieutenant governor, that means the race may come down to who gets their name out better. For now, the numbers show a pretty even match, unless Pittenger continues to dig into his own pockets.

Robert Pittenger gave his campaign $150,000.

The Republican nominee for lieutenant governor gave the money to his own campaign on June 30, just as the reporting period ended for the State Board of Elections.

The donation makes up about a third of the $435,102 he received in the second quarter of 2008.

In addition, Pittenger gave his state Senate campaign a total of $615,000 in separate donations during 2007, before he officially announced he was running for lieutenant governor.

Not counting the $150,000 donation, Pittenger's fundraising is a lot closer to the money raised by his Democratic rival, state Sen. Walter Dalton.

During the second quarter, Pittenger raised $285,102 from other sources, while Dalton raised $255,305.

That's a difference of about $30,000.

Note: Pittenger's campaign finance report mistakenly included the previous donations in the breakout of contributors because of a software glitch. The summary pages of that report are correct, however.

A Charlotte strip club owner has given to Pat McCrory before.

Sammy Tillman, owner of the Paper Doll Lounge (NSFW), has given a total of $2,200 to the Republican gubernatorial nominee's campaigns for local office in the past 15 years.

The donations were all between $200 and $400, beginning in July of 1993 when McCrory ran for a third term on the Charlotte City Council, according to campaign finance reports.

That year, Tillman gave a total of $600. In 1995, he gave McCrory's mayoral bid a total of $700. In 1999, he contributed $400 to his re-election bids; in 2001, $250; and in 2003, another $250.

As noted previously, Tillman also gave $200 to McCrory's gubernatorial campaign this year.

Campaign Manager Richard Hudson said that he was not aware of the earlier donations.

The campaign declined to comment further.

Mike Munger received $12,515 through the end of June.

The Libertarian gubernatorial nominee raised $5,026 during the second quarter, according to his most recent campaign finance report.

Major donors included Raleigh attorney Donna Gingerella, Chapel Hill resident Thomas Hohman, former Libertarian nominee Barbara Howe and Morganton retiree Janette Paulson.

He also gave his own campaign $100. 

At the same time, he spent $3,786, leaving him with $5,338 in cash on hand. 

A Gaston County strip club owner gave Pat McCrory's campaign $200.

Sammy Tillman, owner of the Paper Doll Lounge (NSFW) in Charlotte, made the donation on Feb. 2, according to the Republican gubernatorial nominee's first-quarter campaign finance report. 

Billed as an "upscale gentleman's club," the Paper Doll claims to be the "grand daddy" of Charlotte clubs on its Web site, while a theme song claims to serve "cowboy playboys."

Consultant Jack Hawke said that the campaign did not realize Tillman's occupation, noting that its accountants also referred to former U.S. Sen. Jim Broyhill as a state legislator.

"They don't always catch who everybody is," he said. "It's a $200 contribution. We've accepted it, and I think that's basically the end of the story."

Hawke also joked about the size of the donation.

"I can tell you this, Pat McCrory's not going to take his pants off for $200," he said. When asked if that meant he would do so for more, he demurred. 

"I don't know what the amount is," he said, laughing. 

It seems Pat McCrory is not the only politician handing out demotions.

As we noted yesterday, the Republican gubernatorial candidate demoted former U.S. Sen. Jim Broyhill to a state legislator on his campaign finance report.

Now Washington-based newspaper Roll Call reports that U.S. Rep. Mel Watt had a little trouble with two donors on his report: Fellow Congressmen Charlie Rangel and Jim Clyburn.

For employers, he listed: "Information requested."

Watt told Roll Call he was following Federal Election Commission protocol and requesting the information from the contributors.

"It does seem very funny, but we're just following protocol," he said. 

Apparently the FEC won't accept information readily available on Wikipedia. 

Charlotteans are giving a lot to Pat McCrory.

The Republican gubernatorial nominee has raised more than $1.2 million from Charlotte donors, or 55 percent of the money he's received so far.

Democratic rival Beverly Perdue has raised twice as much this year from a wider base, but her $200,00 take of Charlotte money is a fraction of McCrory's. Perdue outraised McCrory in every other county.

"It tells me there is a lot of money in Charlotte," said Carmine Scavo, a political scientist at East Carolina University. "You've got to go where the deep pockets are."

Former Wachovia CEO Ken Thompson, former Charlotte Chamber Chairman Tom Nelson and developer Johnny Harris are among his donors.

Charlotte was an important financial base for Republican Richard Vinroot in 2000, but over the same period he raised just 38 percent of his money from there. (Char-O)

From the Letting Bygones Be Bygones Department:

Canton Mayor Pat Smathers gave Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor Walter Dalton $250 on June 20, according to campaign finance reports.

That would be about a month and a half after Dalton beat Smathers for the nomination. 

Walter Dalton received $1.5 million in contributions by the end of June.

The Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor received $255,305 in contributions during the second quarter of the year, according to his most recent campaign finance report.

Major donors included Crandall Bowles, Greensboro executive Joseph Bryan Jr., Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers, Franklin Street Partners executive Robert Eubanks, Capstrat CEO Ken Eudy and developer Mack Pearsall. 

He also received contributions from political action committees such as the Bank of America PAC, the Baxter Healthcare PAC, the N.C. Home Builders Association, DominionPAC, the N.C. Restaurant Association, the N.C. Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Wal-Mart's PAC and the N.C. Trucking Association.

He also spent $637,602 in the second quarter, leaving him with $177,357 in cash on hand.

Robert Pittenger received $1.9 million in contributions by the end of June.

The Republican nominee for lieutenant governor raised $435,102 in the second quarter of 2008, according to his most recent campaign finance report.

Major donors included real estate developer Justus Ammons, Carolina Panthers coach John Fox and Carolina Mills chairman George Moretz.

He also received money from political action committees such as Carolina Conservatives, the Kerr Drug PAC, Wal-Mart's Wal-PAC, the Mid-Atlantic Emergency Medical Association PAC and the Wilmington Anesthesiologists PAC.

His campaign still owes a $500,000 loan from his wife, Suzanne.

He spent $450,216 in the second quarter, leaving him with $316,190 in cash on hand.

Update: Pittenger also gave his own campaign $150,000 in the second quarter.