GOP candidate Pawlenty raises $4.2M

[July 02, 2011]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- A campaign aide to Tim Pawlenty says the Republican presidential hopeful raised $4.2 million in the fundraising period that ended Thursday.

Pawlenty spokesman Alex Conant says the former Minnesota governor has more money in the bank than the party's 2008 nominee, John McCain, had at this point. Conant did not disclose the sum, but McCain had $1.4 million.

Pawlenty has been raising money for both a primary and a general election campaign. Aides did not break down how much of his fundraising was for a primary and how much is off-limits unless he is the GOP's nominee.

Rival Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, was expected to report $15 million to $20 million for his fundraising quarter. Romney is only raising money for his primary.

[Associated Press; By PHILIP ELLIOTT]

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