Former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann announced Tuesday that he has raised nearly $1.5 million for his U.S. Senate campaign and earned an endorsement from a national conservative group.
According to his campaign, Neumann raised $650,000 in the first fundraising quarter of 2012 from over 9,000 contributions. Chip Englander, Neumann’s campaign manager, said he was pleased with the total and that the 17,000 donations Neumann has received so far will be the most of any Republican candidate in the race.
“I have the most supporters because I’m the most conservative candidate in the race. And people are clearly responding,” Neumann said in a statement. “I’m blown away by the support I’m seeing both in fundraising and at the grassroots level."
Neumann is the first Senate candidate to release his first quarter fundraising numbers.
Neumann also received backing from the Citizens United Political Victory Fund, a national political action committee that supports conservative candidates. The group is donating $5,000 to his primary election campaign and another $5,000 if he makes it to the general election.
Neumann has already received endorsements from prominent national conservative groups and figures, including the Club for Growth, U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
One of Neumann’s rivals, former Gov. Tommy Thompson, has received high-profile Republicans endorsements of his own from former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
State Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, and Madison businessman Eric Hovde are also running in the Republican primary.
