For Immediate Release
Contact:
Christy Setzer

WASHINGTON -- Filing its FEC report for the first quarter, Chris Dodd's presidential campaign today celebrated its continued financial and organizational success. Dodd reported nearly $7.5 million cash on hand, with over $6.4 million cash available for the Democratic primary to date. Those numbers are expected to put Dodd in 4th place among the Democratic contenders.

"We're gratified by the tremendous show of support this campaign has received from supporters across the country looking for proven leadership that can get things done," said Dodd campaign manager Sheryl Cohen. "As we continue to build strong operations nationally and in key primary states, we know we'll have the financial support we need to win the Democratic primary and eventually the general election."

When the campaign files with the FEC tonight, it will report:

Total Receipts: $8,795,706

Cash on hand: $7,482,467

Primary money available: $6,432,050

Dodd's campaign has a greater cash-on-hand total than did any contender at this point in the 2004 presidential campaign besides Sen. John Kerry. At the end of the first quarter, Sen. John Edwards reported having $5.7 million cash on hand; Rep. Richard Gephardt reported $4.9 million; former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, $2 million. Only Kerry, with just over $8 million, had more cash available.

Additionally, Dodd's campaign continues to grow. Last week, Dodd traveled to Iowa, where he unveiled his comprehensive foreign policy plan, and Nevada, where he continued his successful "Kitchen Table" campaign, meeting with groups of firefighters and Hispanic leaders to address their concerns on important issues.

"I couldn't be more pleased with the present state of this campaign," continued Cohen. "Our impressive level of grassroots support shows that people are responding to Chris Dodd's record of proven leadership and experience."