Washington - After promising to raise more than half his campaign money from Wisconsinites, Senate Democrat Russ Feingold is staying a little bit ahead of that threshold, his campaign filings show.

Of the $3.8 million Feingold raised from 1999 through the middle of 2003, about 55% - just more than $2 million - has come from individual Wisconsinites.

An additional 38% - about $1.4 million - has come from individuals in other states.

And about 7%, or $280,000 has come from party committees or political action committees representing unions, businesses and other interest groups.

Rick Graber, chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party, criticized Feingold for raising significant funds from outside the state, "given all his commentary on special interests and outside influences."

Feingold, co-author of a landmark campaign reform law now before the Supreme Court, said his fund-raising was consistent with his past campaigns and campaign pledges. Feingold pledged to raise more than half his money from Wisconsinites in his first Senate campaign and upped that figure to 60% in his 1998 campaign.

"There was never any suggestion in my entire career I though it was wrong to get any money from out of state," Feingold said. "I've been consistent. I've kept all my promises."

The fund-raising breakdowns were provided by Feingold based on the donor lists he has submitted to the Federal Election Commission. Feingold makes public all of his donors and donations, though the law requires the names of only those who have given $200 or more.

Feingold is far ahead of the fund-raising pace he set in his hard fought '98 race against Republican Mark Neumann. Since 1999, he has raised more than double what he raised during the equivalent period leading up to the 1998 election.

The two-term Democrat said the main difference in his fund-raising is that this time he began his direct mail program - soliciting donations through mass mailings - much earlier in the cycle.

Biggest campaign expense

Records show Feingold has spent more than $800,000 on direct mail since 2001, his biggest single campaign expense.

While such mailings are costly, they have political benefits. They don't soak up the candidate's time the way fund-raising events do. They can help build a broad list of donors a candidate can go back to for money in the future. And they allow a candidate such as Feingold to demonstrate an extensive base of modest givers, in keeping with his reformist persona. Feingold also described it as a mobilizing tool.

"When people give small checks, they feel invested in terms of the campaign. It leads to a good field organization," he said.

According to his campaign, the average contribution to the campaign for the election cycle beginning in 1999 is $50.62.

Feingold also provided at a reporter's request a list of fund-raising events he has held inside and outside the state since the beginning of 2002.

On the list were 68 events of which 39 were in Wisconsin, nine each in D.C. and Illinois, five in New York City, two each in Florida and Los Angeles, one in Virginia and one in Seattle.

Comparing figures

Compared with other Senate incumbents up for reelection, Feingold's war chest - about $1.9 million as of June 30 - is below average.

He also ranks near the bottom among those same senators in the percentage of his money that comes from political action committees.

But he ranks high in the funds he raises from individual givers.

Among senators facing reelection in 2004, only Charles Schumer of New York ($17.3 million), Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania ($6.6 million), Richard Shelby of Alabama ($4.6 million) and Barbara Boxer of California ($3.7 million) have raised more from individual donors than Feingold has (about $3.5 million) since 1999.

Those comparisons are based on data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan research group. According to an analysis by the same group of larger contributions ($200 or more), the places outside Wisconsin where Feingold has raised the most money are Chicago, New York and the Washington D.C. area.

Badger State principles?

State Republicans have indicated they plan to make an issue of Feingold's out-of-state fund-raising. In a column on the state GOP's Web site earlier this summer, Graber wrote, "Does Feingold represent the principles and beliefs of the Badger State, or his liberal buddies on the East Coast?"

Feingold said in an interview last week that "they must not have much to go on if they're trying to make an issue of something I've been so open about."

So far Feingold has only one announced GOP challenger, state Senator Bob Welch of Redgranite.

Welch had not begun fundraising for the campaign by the close of the last reporting period June 30.

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